Hiei's Horrors: Part I
by FGFH Enterprises
Summary: Sequel to Romancing Kurama. Hiei's life starts to spin out of control. T for language and implications.
1. Chapter 1

Hiei's Horrors

From the Pen of

The Fan-Girl From Hell

"This is just so perfect." The voice was very loud in the suddenly silent temple. "Yukina is getting married at the same time as her brother." There were a number of gasps in the crowd, not the smallest of which came from the aforementioned Ice Maiden.

Yukina turned from Koenma, standing in front of herself and her beloved Kazuma. Her pretty brow furrowed in confusion as she looked in the direction of Botan, standing next to Genkai with her hands over her mouth and staring at Hiei in horror. She then looked at the two other couples standing before the priest as well. Hiei was staring grimly ahead while Missy looked around in wonder. Kurama was looking in the other direction with the greatest of interest while Kiki whispered something and was replied to. She stared for an instant at Hiei and then her gaze flew to Yukinas.

Turning, Yukina found a number of people also taking a great interest in the ceiling. Even Kazuma's sister Shizuru was absorbed by the shadows in the ceiling. The only people looking confused were Kazuma, herself and Keiko. She looked again at Botan, who was only half visible, oar in hand, staring at Hiei as if she expected him to leap upon her and tear her to shreds. A terrible suspicion took root. Her gaze slowly slid back to Hiei. The temperature in the temple suddenly dipped a good twenty degrees. Celsius.

"Ah, Yukina," Koenma's voice drew her glare toward him. "Can we finish the wedding before we start turning people into ice cubes? Most of us who understood that comment would appreciate a chance to finalize this set of vows before having to explain ourselves."

"You ALL knew?" Yukina's outrage was obvious as she glared around again.

"No, not all of us." Koenma nodded toward her still puzzled looking bridegroom. "Actually, there were very few of us who knew anything and most of those who did learned it by accident. The explanation will take some time, and is better conducted in private than in this public a space."

Yukina looked around again, this time seeing the numerous strangers and mere acquaintances and then nodded to Koenma. "Fine. Wedding first, but I will expect a full explanation from ALL of you as soon as this is over." She glared again at Hiei, who shuddered visibly as the tips of his hair frosted over.

The rest of the ceremony proceeded smoothly, if a trifled rushed and several of the guests noticed the distinct chill emanating from the happy couples. The wedding dinner and reception went more smoothly and there were no strange outbursts. About halfway through the reception, however, Yukina, Kuwabara, Hiei, Missy, Kurama, Kiki, Genkai and Koenma all stepped into a small antechamber off the reception hall. The door was closed and the rest of the guests continued to party on without the guests of honor.

"Now." Yukina stalked over to the small table that was set in the corner with several bottles of wine and plates of snacks. She poured herself a glass of wine and turned to glare at the assembled party. The doors iced over. "Why, when you knew I was searching for my brother for all these years did you lie TO MY FACE?!?"

As Yukina's volume rose, the temperature dropped and by the time she finished all eyes were turned to Hiei. Hiei looked around him and found no escape.

"The price for receiving my Jagan so that I could find my old home and my sister was that I never admit the connection. I was freed from that vow when I defeated the one that extracted it from me just before Yusuke decreed his tournament for the crown of Makai." Hiei looked around again. "I wasn't going to tell a sweet innocent child such as you are that her brother was a disreputable thief and a bandit, even if he hadn't forced me to swear that, though. And the reason none of the others who knew didn't tell you is because I made them promise not to. Which reminds me, I owe Botan a slow and painful death."

Yukina actually growled. Missy and Kiki cowered behind Kurama as the temperature dropped a few more degrees. Kuwabara stepped forward and put his arm around Yukina's shoulder. He glared at Hiei as she turned and buried her face in his chest. From that shelter, her voice was a trifle muffled, but the words were still clear. "Don't you think I should have had a choice in whether or not I chose to acknowledge the disreputable thief and bandit as a brother? I left my home and all I knew and risked my life in an attempt to find you. Didn't that mean anything to you?"

Hiei's normally stony face stiffened even more. "Yes, it meant something to me. We are complete opposites and have been since we were born. Male and female. Ice and fire. Innocent and evil. I did not want to expose you to that when you could have no concept of what you were asking."

Yukina pushed herself away from Kuwabara and stood face to face with her brother. "What makes you think I have no concept? Why do you think Ice Apparitions live apart from the rest of the world? Where did you think you got your telepathy from? In order to find you, I subjected myself to more evil and torment than you have ever dreamed of! So don't tell me I have no concept of what I was dealing with!"

By the time she was done, Yukina was glaring at Hiei from mere inches away, her nose practically touching his. Her mental images of all she had seen, heard and felt were blows to his consciousness. The images of what those who had held her captive wanted to do to her were the worst. There was no way for her to escape the bombardment of twisted thoughts then and no way for Hiei to escape them now. He accepted them and could only reach out and hug his sister and whisper, "I'm sorry," into her hair as they both cried. Yukina's tears bounced across the floor as priceless gems. Hiei's floated away as puffs of flame. Everyone else in the room turned away from what had become an intensely private moment.

2


	2. Chapter 2

There was absolute silence for a few seconds and then, from just outside the door, they heard a strident female voice shout, "Where is he?!?" Kurama turned a slightly paler shade and then the door burst open, revealing the figure of a girl. "Suichi Minamino, you bastard! I'm going to beat you to death with a limp Snickers bar. How dare you get married and not invite me? What the hell kind of best friend are you, anyway?!?"

"Friend of yours?" Hiei asked, suddenly appearing at Kurama's elbow.

"Oops." The sound came out more as a squeak than a word, causing Hiei to look at him sharply. "Hehe, Hi Alanna. I thought you were still on tour. I didn't expect you to be able to make it. Don't you have a concert in New York tonight?"

The girl tossed her hands into the air and stalked toward Kurama. "Hrmph. Like I would miss your wedding for a little thing like that. Your Mom told my mom and she told me and here I am. My jet is waiting at the airport. I 'll kick your ass and be there in plenty of time. End of issue." She stopped inches away from Kurama. "So, where is this perfect little bride that you couldn't wait for me to get here to marry?"

Kiki peeked timidly up over Kurama's shoulder. "Suichi, you didn't tell me Alanna was on tour. We could have waited for her to get here before the wedding."

Alanna stared at the terrified purple eyes peering at her. "Oh. My. God! Kiki the Wimp! You married Kiki the Wimp? You married Kiki the Wimp and you didn't take the time to call and invite ME? You are even more dead than I thought."

Kurama sputtered a moment, clearly searching for something to say to diffuse the situation while Alanna glared at him with her arms across her chest and her foot tapping. Hiei took the time to examine the obviously incensed female. She appeared human. She stood an impressive five foot and nine inches, a whole foot taller than himself and towered over Kurama by a good six inches. She was dressed in a studded black tank top and miniskirt with her long legs covered in fishnet stockings down to her black combat boots. Her face, what he could see of it between the white and black make-up, was not unattractive, provided one was impressed by numerous piercings. Perhaps the most interesting feature he could make out at that time was the tattoo of the black widow spider prominently displayed on her right shoulder.

"And who's this little spiky-headed freak? How come he's here with you and not me, huh?"

Kurama took that moment to recover. "Ah, yes. Alanna, this is Hiei. Hiei, Alanna."

"Hn. And I'm the freak?"

"Oh can it, Shorty. I'm not here to exchange pleasantries with you. I want to know why you-" as she poked Kurama in the chest with one finger hard enough for him to take a half step back "-didn't even have the decency to let me know you were getting married. After all, we've been best friends since pre-school when I used to beat you up for cookies."

The room fell silent for a moment, and then there was a rash of choked coughs from almost everyone. Alanna glared around, hands held in front of her and clenched into fists. "You people got a problem? This is a private conversation here. You got somethin' to add, Peanut Gallery?"

Koenma gasped and held up a hand. "Sorry, I'm not sure what caused that. I don't have anything to add." He grinned. "And I don't have any cookies, either."

The next thing Koenma knew, he was laying on the floor looking up at Alanna who stood over him looking at her hand. "Damn, you made me chip a nail. Do you have any idea how long it takes to get them just right?" She turned and glared at Kurama. "And it is all your fault."

"Yes, it is, Alanna. Allow me to try to make it up to you by offering you my deepest-" Kurama broke off as Alanna grabbed a fistful of his shirt. She then spoke to Kiki over his shoulder as she dragged him off.

"Kiki, I'm gonna borrow your husband. Don't worry, he will be back and should be functional enough for the wedding night. After all, it's not your fault he's an asshole, so you shouldn't suffer. I'll be real careful where I hit him with the Snickers bar."

Hiei's ears perked up. "Isn't a Snickers bar made of chocolate?" he asked Kuwabara.

"Yeah, but she's just gonna beat him with it. She's not gonna feed it to him. I think."

Alanna glared back over her shoulder. "Why would I feed it to him? It's my chocolate and once I'm done beating him with it I will need it to recover my energy. DUH!!"

Kuwabara and Hiei stared as Alanna dragged Kurama outside and the door slammed behind her. Meanwhile, Genkai was helping Koenma get back to his feet. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, but you have to wonder where Kurama found a friend with such a nasty right hook. Reminds me of someone, but I can't quite place it."

"Me, too, but the last time you took a right like that wasn't Yusuke behind it?"

"Oh yeah. She almost sounds like him, too. Weird, isn't it?"

"Sure is, but you kind of had to expect something like that with this bunch. It wouldn't have been a proper party without-" the sound of a body bouncing off a wall reverberated through the room, accompanied by sympathetic cringing."-this sort of stuff."

A few minutes later the door opened and Alanna dragged a semi-conscious Kurama into the room. She tossed him toward Kiki who went down with him in a crumpled heap. "There you go sweety. Nothing permanent damaged and all the necessary parts in working order. I didn't even mess up his pretty face for you," she quipped with a grin. "I feel better. This party have a bar?"


	3. Chapter 3

The room fell silent yet again. "I didn't know Yusuke had a sister," Botan said nervously. She grabbed her oar and vanished before Alanna could turn toward her. Alanna shook her head.

"Huh, thought there was someone there for a sec. Must be my imagination. By the way, who the hell is Yusuke? The only Yusuke I ever heard about was some punk over at Sarayosuke Junior High, but I never met him. And where is this sister of his? His rep's pretty good, but I bet I can take both of em at once."

Kurama managed a smile that was more than the grimace he had been wearing. "I'm sure you could, Alanna, but he's out of town and won't be back for a while. Maybe I'll introduce you when he gets back. He's a friend of mine."

"Suichi, you get weirder by the minute. And I suppose nobody else here is worth breaking a sweat for? Guess I'll just have to settle for the pushover, here." She nodded toward Koenma. "Since the rest of you are all in your fancy marryin clothes, I guess he's the only one left unattached." She sidled over to him. "So, how do you feel about strong women?"

Koenma looked around himself in panic for a second and then, apparently recalling himself, cleared his throat and said, "I have nothing against strong women, but I prefer a lady with manners." Koenma didn't bother to dodge the right this time. He had earned it.

"And that just goes to show that manners aren't everything." She bent over and grabbed his hand, yanking him back to his feet. "Now, where's the bar? You look like you could use a drink."

Everyone started to leave the room, but Yukina grabbed Hiei's hand and pulled him to one side before he could make good his escape. "We're not done with this discussion, Brother," she hissed. He got yet another reprieve when Kuwabara stopped in the doorway.

"C'mon, Yukina. Don't want to miss all the neat dancing." Hiei took a moment to consider the irony of being grateful to the buffoon for distracting his sister from her ire. He shrugged to himself and went out to join his own bride on the dance floor. Kiki and Kurama were already seated at the head table and Kiki was dabbing at Kurama's bruises with a damp cloth.

After the wedding, life calmed down for all three couples. Sort of. About three months after their own wedding, all of them were gathered yet again to celebrate Yusuke's return from Makai and his long-awaited marriage to Keiko. Alanna was introduced to Yusuke at this happy event and they spent several days thereafter beating the stuffings out of Kuwabara. Then they started challenging each other. Generally speaking, they were fairly evenly matched. Alanna did notice, however, on those occasions when Yusuke succeeded in defeating her easily he seemed to be sporting some weird temporary tattoos.

Hiei and Yukina did get to have their private conversation. No one was ever made privy to the details, but there were a fairly large number of gems left on the floor and Hiei's hair had frost on the tips when they were through.

A few months later began a round of baby showers, first for Kiki, then Missy, Then Yukina and then Keiko. Then came the births. Kurama and Kiki were blessed with a pair of identical twin girls who they named Kira and Kara. In an effort to maintain individuality (and so their parents could tell them apart), the twins were each given a small tattoo on the back of their neck, just below the hairline.

After the girls were born, "Auntie" Alanna spent most of her time around the Minnamino household whenever she wasn't on tour. Since she was an internationally famous classical soprano, her time at home was intermittent, but whenever she was there, the girls loved her. Kiki was always glad for the help. It took Hiei a while to accept that the gothic, pierced monster who abused Kurama at his wedding was the conservative, dark-haired diva of the music world.

Numerous strange activities occurred which Alanna dismissed as misunderstood normal activities. Alanna seemed to dismiss anything that did not seem to be normal, natural or logical as nonexistent. No matter what she saw or heard to the contrary. Which made her the perfect babysitter. And yet...not. When asked about her belief regarding (gasp!) Demons and other supernatural creatures, her response was, "Are you stoned or just stupid? Those things are just idiotic stories somebody's mother made up to force children to behave."

Next came Hiei and Missy's daughter, Mercy. There was a great deal of ribbing from the others that she was the only bit of mercy ever produced by Hiei. At least until he started hitting people. Missy's twin Faith was also living in their house and was surprisingly nice to Hiei after the baby was born. She just couldn't hold a grudge against someone who made her sister so gloriously happy.

Yukina and Kuwabara's little bundle of joy was named Botana, though she was most often referred to as Bo. Kuwabara's sister Shizuru was an avid baby-sitter and took less time beating her brother up after he got a real job and started supporting his family properly.

Yusuke and Keiko named their little girl Genkai after the wonderful old lady who taught Yusuke to survive through his trials while growing up. The elder Genkai was actually not that impressed by having the child named after her until the little darling tossed a miniature ball of spirit energy and hit her father in the butt with it.

All five children spent a lot of time together while their parents dealt with the vagaries of day to day life. Naturally, they all spent time with their individual families, but there was a lot of together time, too. It allowed them to learn to deal with other little people without having to expose "normal" humans to the varieties of interesting quirks that all of them, being at least part demon, developed.

The little Minamino twins were wonders with houseplants. In fact, once they started, they made everyone wonder when the house changed into a jungle. Unfortunately, not all the plants they ran across were friendly. Thorns were not uncommon and having a thorny plant wrap around the ankle of the person whose attention they desired was not at all uncommon. Alanna usually swore at the plants a bit and told Kiki to stop using so much plant food. When told the growth was due to the girls, she brushed the idea off as ridiculous and continued spoiling them as usual.

Mercy's Jagan showed itself early and allowed her a much wider view of the world than most adults expected. In fact, one of the first signs that she was using it was the small black dragon, apparently made of flame, that would appear whenever she felt a lack of playmates. Small being a relative term. This one was about ten feet long. That and the fact that as soon as her mouth was physically capable of forming words, ALL the words spoken within an impressively large area seemed to fall from it. Especially the ones her parents did not really want to hear tripping from her dainty little mouth.

Botana developed a habit of freezing things that she found unpleasant. It was decided after they had to melt the kitten that pets would wait a while. Also, it was discovered that chipping a frozen diaper from the baby is NOT a good alternative to changing her immediately after she announces she needs it.

Little Genkai Urameshi, the youngest of the lot, was well satisfied with her habit of tossing tiny balls of spirit energy at anyone whose attention she desired and anything she found objectionable. Including, just over a year after her own arrival, her little brother, Jin.

Botana also acquired a younger brother, though hers was a bit further behind. She was just over two when he arrived and not terribly displeased to have a babydoll that would really scream if she pinched it. He was named after the Prince of Spirit World, Koenma.

About the same time, most of the little ones developed an interest in their bodies and the world around them. The Minamino twins would go to the park with their mother to play. Somehow, most of the other children, especially those playing with the toys or equipment the twins were interested in, would end up encased in wildly growing grass. The phrase "Ambush!" became the most feared sound on the playground.

Mercy spent one afternoon comparing face parts with her father. Hiei named them off as she touched them. She touched his nose and then touched her own. "Nose." She reached out and put her finger to his lips and then her own. "Mouth." She reached up and gently touched his closed eyelid. "Eye." Then she reached out and poked the open Jagan. "Hn."

"Damn," the little voice translated. She did not touch her own Jagan. Obviously that would not be good. Missy was not impressed by her daughter's new word. Faith snorted and left the room rather than laugh in her sister's presence.

Genkai Urameshi was also interested in learning and she and Mercy sat down a few days later to share information. Their mothers were listening from the other room and found it adorable. At first. "Eye." "Nose." "Mouth." and "ear". Were fine. When there was a quiet "Damn." and then a shriek of pain followed by the sounds of bodies bouncing off the floor, playtime was over for the day.

Learning to use language was interesting, as well. After having spent a day with her Uncle Hiei, little Botana looked up at her father with her innocent brown eyes and said, "Bwaha haha hahaha." When he stared at her in horror and then asked where she had learned that, her response was, "Hehehe Hiei."

That was the last time Uncle Hiei babysat Botana for quite some time. Uncle Hiei said that Kuwabara just had no sense of humor. But Kuwabara had his revenge. When Mercy was about three, he introduced her to the Animal Planet Channel and the wonderful activities of Steve Irwin, better known as The Crocodile Hunter. Mercy watched the channel practically non-stop for weeks. She would sit before the television and make baby animal noises back at the screen. Missy became concerned when Mercy wanted to practice being a boa constrictor and eating live mice.

Hiei, having been given the task of showing Mercy that there were better things to do than watch Animal Planet, was baffled as to how to go about it. She did not want to watch cute animated characters struggle through their everyday life. There was no challenge like trying to survive in the wild with the odds against them. Mercy pointed out in a very mature and reasonable manner that the Animal Planet was not only entertaining, but educational as well. Besides, Steve Irwin was a living example of what NOT to do around wild animals. She suggested that Hiei join her in viewing a few episodes before he completely ban her from the channel.

Over the course of the next several days, Hiei learned many things about many animals. And not a small bit about his daughter. They both found it amazingly silly when Steve managed to get himself stung by a scorpion, bitten by a spider and spit at by a cobra all in the same day. And then he went out and did it again. And again. It quickly became their favorite comedy program. Missy was not amused. She did get over it, however, when Hiei took Mercy out to the forest and introduced her to the local wildlife. No mice were hurt or eaten during these expeditions. Although numerous snakes were captured and examined.

Mercy decided she preferred to remain a mammal and not become a boa constrictor. She did, however retain a slight Australian accent and one of her favorite words, usually uttered just before some brazen act of stupidity, was "Crikey!" Hiei was not impressed. That became the second most feared word on the playground. The combination of "Crikey" and "Ambush" was guaranteed to clear the entire park of small children in record time.

When the girls were all about five, they went to spend a couple of months at the elderly Genkai's temple. Yusuke was fond of referring to the complex as "Grandma's Evil Boot Camp," but the children enjoyed their time there immensely. They all learned cool new things and developed their natural abilities in the areas of fighting and use of spirit and demon energies. They also learned to work together by combining natural abilities to protect one another's weaker spots.

Then, DISASTER struck.


	4. Chapter 4

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei were summoned to Spirit world to confer with Koenma. The leader of Spirit world had been hearing some very nasty rumors arising from Makai about a proposed attack on both Spirit World and the Human World by a combined horde of high-level demons. While the men were away, Alanna went to stay with Kiki, who she now considered a good friend and the twins. Shizuru was staying with her brother's family. On a whim, she took them, along with Keiko and her children to spend a few days with old Genkai, who was becoming a little slower in her old age. Faith was still living at Hiei and Missy's, but being a vampire, she wasn't around much during the day.

Just as the men were returning from Spirit World, Missy and Mercy were attacked on the way to the school. Hiei found Missy, bleeding and mortally wounded just outside their home. The only sign of little Mercy was a huge charred spot on the ground near her mother's body. With her last few breaths, Missy managed to tell Hiei that they were attacked by demons and that as far as she could tell, Mercy had summoned her dragon friend, but had still been torn to bits by the demons who were in turn destroyed by the dragon.

Kurama returned home to a house full of chaos. The twins were huddled in a corner over Kiki's limp body while Alanna prowled the room, hair impossibly grown practically to floor length and oddly familiar looking lightning-shaped tattoos visible on her face, arms and legs. Kiki was dead. Apparently Alanna shared more than just an attitude with Yusuke Urameshi - a common ancestor, as well.

From what Kurama could make out, they had been grabbed on their way out to take the girls to school. The attackers, from the descriptions provided by both girls and Alanna, were mid-level demons of some sort. They managed to drag Alanna, Kiki and the twins through a portal to Makai, where they killed Kiki and Alanna and were about to do the same-presumably-to the twins when Alanna came back to life and blasted them all to ash. Then she scooped up Kiki and the twins and they managed to flee back home. Alanna was almost more upset by the entire chain of events than the twins.

Yusuke and Kuwabara returned to homes turned virtually inside out, but since their families were all at Genkai's temple and fully protected there from anything resembling evil demons, they were all fine. Keiko was more than a little put out by the loss of her family antiques, but was glad she still had her family.

When Faith awoke at sunset, she knew at once that something was wrong. The house had a strong odor of blood and death. She came to the living room where she found Hiei pathetically curled up on the floor next to a blanket covered lump. Seeing the ends of the blond curls poking out from under the edge of the blanket, she realized who was under it. Snarling, she dove at Hiei and dragged him up by his throat. He did not resist.

"What happened here? And where is Mercy?" she snarled into his unfocused and uncaring eyes.

"They killed them both and Mercy summoned the dragon that killed them," he answered in a vague monotone.

"Where the hell were you? Why didn't you protect them?"

"I got home from Spirit World just after it happened. Missy was laying there, barely breathing, but she managed to tell me that it was demons and that Mercy summoned the dragon. They tore her to bits and then the dragon turned everything to ash." Faith dropped him and he fell to the floor by his wife, unmoving. She raced outside to examine the area, but other than the puddle of blood where Missy had been, there were no traces of the attackers or Mercy.

Hiei still had not moved when she got back.

"Hiei, we have to find Mercy. She might still be out there somewhere," she exclaimed, trying to get him to move. Hiei looked back at her blankly.

"No, she isn't," he said. "See for yourself." Hiei stared at Faith with all three eyes and a vision of the last thing Missy had seem formed in her mind. Missy and Mercy had been on their way out the door to go to school when they were grabbed by at least four strange creatures. Missy was quickly disabled and dropped to lie in a pool of her own blood and watch in horror as the monsters amused themselves with her helpless child. Well, not quite helpless, as they found out when the child summoned the black flaming dragon, but then everyone vanished into the flames and when they died down there was nothing but ash remaining.

Faith fell back in horror. It was true. Her niece and sister were gone. Murdered by demons just as they were getting on in the human world. Missy had even learned to cook something other than fudge. She collapsed next to the obviously dispirited Hiei. She wanted to deny it all, but with the memories provided by Hiei and Missy's body laying on the floor next to them it really wasn't possible.

"Who would do such a thing?" She asked. Then she looked at Hiei again. "This is all your fault," she declared. "One or more of the multitude of enemies you acquired over your lifetime has come here and destroyed all that you and I loved for revenge."

"That may be, but who? If I had the slightest idea where to start, the bloodbath would not end until the one responsible was destroyed utterly." Hiei seemed to be pulling himself together as he considered the possibilities. "I just need to get a single clue as to where to start and they will never see another day."

"That's the spirit, Shorty," Faith gibed. "But where do we start? Personally, I'd start with you, but making you live seems more punishment than killing you at the moment. So who, from among all your numerous enemies would do such a thing?"

"I don't know, but they must have been behind the summons to Spirit World that got me away so I could not be here to protect them."

Just then the door flew open and a large silhouette blocked the light. "Dad! I came to warn you, there's- Damn. I'm too late." Hiei and Faith stared at the figure in the doorway for a second. The female stood over six feet tall and carried a double bladed axe almost as wide as she was tall. Her skin was pale white, her hair red and her eyes -all three of them- were the same brown as Hiei's.

"Leona, do you know something about this?" Hiei asked, waving his arm toward the blanked draped lump on the floor. "Can you tell me who's responsible so I can make them rue the day they were born for the remaining seconds of their life?"

Leona looked around again and cringed. "When did this happen. And where's Mercy? Did they get her?"

Faith glared at Hiei. "Who the hell is this and why did she call you 'Dad?'"

Hiei sighed and his gaze went from one angry female to the other. "Faith, this is my eldest daughter, Leona. Leona, this is my sister-in-law Faith, the vampire. This-" he gestured toward the body "-happened just before I got home and apparently Mercy is gone." He shared Missy's last memories with her.

"Ahh hell. I was coming to warn you that I had received word that there was going to be an attack on you, Kurama, Urameshi and Kuwabara by killing your wives and stealing your children and dragging them off to be raised in Makai."

"WHO DID THIS?" Both Hiei and Faith snarled, for once in perfect accord.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I heard that Kharistahl is back in charge of the Nightmare Realm and thirsting for revenge against the lot of you...or something to that effect."

"I thought you three killed her."

"So did I. She vanished and the stupid crystal on her throne went dark. We thought she was dead."

"You left the crystal on the arm of the throne? You didn't smash it? How stupid are you three? I would have thought that at least Kurama would have had enough brains to know that the only way to really destroy Kharistahl is to smash her crystal. It's her heart, you idiot." Faith snarled at Hiei and Leona put a hand to the hilt of her axe in concern.

"Hey hey hey. Not his fault nobody told him. Right now the most important thing is to see who among the rest of your intrepid band of assholes is still alive and how many kids we need to rescue from her twisted clutches." Hiei and Faith stopped staring at each other and stared at Leona instead. "I'm sorry I didn't get here in time to save Missy and Mercy, but we need to find Kurama and the others and see who we can still salvage from this mess."

Hiei and Faith reluctantly agreed. Since there was nothing in the house for Hiei to return to, he set fire to it in memorial to Missy and Mercy before they set off for Kurama's house.


	5. Chapter 5

The scene at Kurama's house was chaotic to say the least. The twins were nearly hysterical and shooting out carnivorous vines at every stray sound. Alanna was still covered in the strange tattoos and when she jumped, energy balls would fly in every direction. Kurama was the calmest one there and he was trying to comfort the twins while dealing with his own shock and grief. He was just getting them into the tub to be cleaned up before being put to bed when Hiei, Faith and Leona arrived. The twins raced over and buried their faces in Faith's chest the instant they saw her, weeping profusely.

While Faith got the girls through their bath and settled into one bed -they refused to sleep in separate beds.-Hiei and Leona reconstructed the situation for Kurama.

"And you are sure they did not manage to steal Mercy?" was his first question after their tale.

"Almost positive." Hiei sighed. He shared Missy's final vision with his friend. "There was no trail, human, demonic or anything else that Faith or I could find leaving the charred spot Mercy's dragon left. All we could conclude was that after she summoned it, she was killed and the dragon incinerated the remains along with all the attackers."

"I'm Sorry, Hiei." Kurama looked at Leona. "You heard that this attack was coming, Leona? Do you think Kharistahl was behind it?"

"I did hear that you were going to be attacked, but I didn't hear where it was coming from. It's not like the four of you are really popular with many people in Makai." Leona managed a tiny grin. "After all, Gramps was pretty annoyed that HE wasn't the one to do it. That's why he sent me to warn you. If he couldn't do it to you himself, he didn't want anyone else to."

"Hn. That sounds like the old...-"

"Yes, Hiei, it does, but we should be grateful for small favors. If he had done it, he would have done it right."

"Hn."

Alanna had calmed sufficiently that the tattoos had faded by this time and had gone home to get her things. Apparently, she had decided that since the guys were going to go out and "get" whoever was responsible for the attack, she would be moving in for the duration. Kiki's body was still wrapped in a blanket and Kurama and Hiei were going to take it to Genkai's temple for burning the next morning. They would take the children and ask Genkai to also look after them until they got back from their mission of revenge.

Kurama called Yusuke and Kuwabara and found out what had happened in their homes. At least there were no other casualties. They decided to all travel to Genkai's for the funeral and leave their families together there until they got back. Leona took her leave, stating that she needed to get back to make sure her grandfather did not decide to take advantage of the confusion and actually launch an attack. "I'll warn Holly to be on the alert, as well," she assured Kurama.

"I'm coming with you," Faith declared.

"Sorry, but that won't work," Kurama said gently. "There is no such thing as day and night in Makai. Besides, you would slow us down when you needed to rest. Also, I would feel better if you were at the temple with the rest of the families to protect them from any physical threats at night."

When Alanna returned, she agreed with Kurama and Hiei that the twins would be best up at Genkai's along with the rest of their friends and that with Faith and Kuwabara there they would all be adequately protected. Besides, after the way she was attacked and the weird things that had happened to her since, there was no way she was going to stay home and not assist in the revenge. Hiei and Kurama tried to reason with her, but she just got angrier as time went on. Once the strange tattoos started to appear on her skin and things started spontaneously combusting, they gave up.

Once the course of action was agreed upon, Hiei, Kurama and Alanna settled down to get what rest they could. Faith would stand guard and wake them a couple of hours before dawn so that they could all travel to Genkai's together before she needed to rest for the day. Then Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke and Alanna would use the portal to Makai that Hiei and Kurama had used before and they would clear out the Nightmare Realm once and for all.

While the others were resting, Faith packed all the easily transportable food into four packs. Then she added whatever else she could find that would keep for at least a day. She wasn't sure how long they were going to be in Makai, but they were probably going to need food for the duration. Then she packed whatever was left except breakfast into a cooler to go to Gekai's with the girls. She then added a couple of changes of clothes for Hiei and Kurama to their packs and collected several outfits for the girls.

Faith made everyone breakfast and then started waking them. She first woke Kurama and Hiei and then Alanna. After explaining what she had in the packs, she went up to wake the girls while the adults quickly drank coffee and discussed options. Kurama suggested that rather than heading directly from Genkai's temple to Makai, they should spend a night in the abandoned temple Hiei had used as a hideout before so they could get a fresh start the next morning. While the girls were dressing and eating, Kurama dug out several canteens and a dozen or so squirt guns, including one of the huge, backpack loaded, highly pressurized models.

"What the hell are those things for?" Alanna asked when Kurama told her to put three into her pack. "I don't know what you're thinking, but unless the idiots responsible are literally flaming assholes, I don't see where those will help."

"Hn. Well you don't know everything. Just shut up and do as you're told and you might survive this expedition. Unless you'd rather stay at Genkai's with the rest of the children."

Alanna growled, but since no one else seemed inclined to explain or even take notice, she just let it pass. After all, Hiei had just lost both his wife and child and had to be forgiven being a bit testy. She did not understand the snarl and glare aimed in her direction by the little freak after this thought, but shrugged it off. Besides, there were a lot of weird things going on that she did not understand. And she really wasn't sure she wanted to.

Once everyone was fed and packed and all the morning requirements taken care of, they headed off to the train station where they met Yusuke and Kuwabara. Then the entire party headed off to Genkai's. They arrived shortly before dawn and Faith vanished into the forest to find a resting spot until the evening.

The twins were tired and cranky after the 24 hours they had just endured, but the sight of their friends revived them a bit. They were surrounded by curious children and lost no time explaining about what they had been through and that their father, Uncle Hiei, Uncle Yusuke and Auntie Alanna were off to Makai to destroy the monsters responsible for the deaths of their mother, Auntie Missy and Mercy. The rest of the group discussed the events and they decided jointly that if there was anything left of the villains after the adults were through with them, they would be more than happy to finish them off.

Life became even more interesting when Genkai's friend and her twins showed up. Even though these children were nearly a decade older than the assorted demonlings, they had been battling against demons since they were very young and they agreed that an attack of this magnitude required retribution. The children were in the middle of plotting the complete depopulation of Makai when Kurama and Yusuke called their respective offspring in to say farewell.

"But Daddy-" one of the twins started.

"You might need-" the other continued.

"-our help." The first concluded. Naturally, this was said as the two clung to Kurama, each one wrapped around one leg and sitting on his foot. Kurama looked like he had a pair of oversized, carrot-topped boots on. He lifted and shook one foot and then the other without visibly loosening either girl.

"Girls, we've discussed this," he said reasonably while the rest of the adults, with the exception of Yusuke who was trying to shed his daughter as well, tried to hide their snickers at his predicament. "You can't go with us. It would be a distraction for us. Even though we know you are capable of taking care of yourselves, we would still worry and not focus our attention on where it needs to be. That's how daddies are."

The twins stared at him for a moment and then at each other. Then they nodded and released his legs and stepped aside. They held hands and reminded him, "Remember, Daddy you promised. First you get even with the monsters that hurt Mommy, Mercy and Aunt Missy and then you come straight home."

"Yes, girls. I will be home soon."

The twins then went over and succeeded in prying a wailing Genkai off her father's legs and the four adults set out. They only went as far as the abandoned temple in the forest, though to rest for the night and make more complete plans. After they had all settled into separate bedrooms for several hours of sleep, they met in the larger room at the farthest end of the hall from the entryway, where there were a couple of tables and enough chairs for them to sit and plan. They decided to have a meal while they were discussing options. Kurama and Yusuke went into the room with the spring and filled the various and sundry containers they had brought with them with water from the spring while Alanna unpacked the most perishable food from the packs to make up a meal.

After the containers and squirt guns were full, everyone sat down to eat. Knowing that their presence in Makai was unlikely to escape notice for long, they decided their best chance for success lay in heading directly toward Kharistahl's black tower and eliminating anything that got in their way as quickly as possible. The guys were drawing diagrams on the tables and comparing ideas in between grabbing bites of whatever appeared on the table in front of them. Alanna managed to heat water sufficiently to make tea for everyone after the meal, but didn't find anything for dessert in the packs Faith had prepared, so she grabbed a bag of cookies from her own pack, poured most of them onto a plate and set it on the table, grabbing one for herself and dragging the dirty dishes away.

Yusuke ignored the cookies while Hiei and Kurama each grabbed one. Hiei took a bite of his and his eyes widened, but before he had a chance to say anything, Kurama had absently taken a bite of his. Looking at the cookie in his hand in horror, Kurama quickly drained his teacup and looked at Hiei, who nodded and shrugged, shoving the rest of his own cookie into his mouth and grabbing another.

"Something wrong with the cookies, Suichi? Or do you just prefer another flavor?" Alanna asked as she reached for a second cookie for herself. Hiei growled and tried to pull the plate away. Alanna slapped his hand and grabbed a third as well. "And what is the matter with you, Shorty. I brought those cookies so you had better share."

"Ah. Em. Alanna-" Kurama started and then stopped to watch Hiei and Alanna wrestle over the cookie plate for a moment more. "I think Hiei is trying to protect you. AREN'T YOU, Hiei?"

"From what? More cookies. I'll have you know these are the finest chocolate chip cookies on the planet. They are the special soft baked chewy ones that kind of melt in your mouth. They are kind of expensive, but they are my favorites and I never go anywhere without at least a bag or two."

Yusuke choked and his tea sprayed most of the table. "Ch-chocolate chip cookies?" He looked in horror at Kurama. "I thought you said she was Mazoku."

Kurama sighed and finished his cookie. "I did, but we have not had a chance to explain all the little quirks associated with that just yet." He looked over at where Hiei and Alanna were practically growling at one another over the last cookie on the plate. With a small grin, he snatched it out from under both their noses. "I think you two have already had enough chocolate to delay our departure for several hours. Yusuke, did you eat any of these?" he asked gesturing with the cookie as he took a large bite. Yusuke shook his head, eyes wide.

"No, thanks. Keiko would kill me," he joked, edging toward the door. "I'm just gonna go to my room and lock the door. Call me when the three of you are ready to go." With that, he fled and there was a loud crash as his door slammed and the sound of heavy furniture being slid up against it.

"What is this all about? It's just chocolate. You two are acting like I've poisoned you and Yusuke just ran out of here like there was a monster after him."

"Could be, if we're not enough for you. How many cookies did YOU eat anyway?"

"What's it to you, Shorty? They're my cookies. See if I ever share with you again."

"Oh, you'll be sharing, but it won't be cookies."

"Suichi, what the hell is he talking about and why is he...looking...at...me that way?" Alanna started to edge closer to Kurama, but when she looked at him, his expression was not significantly different from Hiei's. "Suichi, what's wrong with you?" she asked as the two of them practically herded her toward the alcove with the enormous bed in it.

"Nothing's wrong, Alanna," he answered, stepping closer and starting to unbutton his shirt. "We just didn't get a chance to warn you about the effects of chocolate on...people...like us."

Meanwhile, Hiei had already sidled up to Alanna's other side and was taking advantage of her attention being fixed on Kurama to do a little groping of his own. Alanna promptly slapped at the encroaching hands and gave him a kick to back him off as well. "Keep your hands to yourself, Shorty. No touchee. Eep!" The last was uttered as a startled squeak as Kurama gave her a little push backwards just as her legs hit the edge of the bed. The end result was Alanna laying on her back and looking up at a pair of eager male faces.

"Guys, I don't think this is such a good idea," she started as she slithered backward up the bed. Her head started to spin and she felt a little dizzy. "Ooooh. I don't feel so good. Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

Suddenly, the attention seemed to shift to more concerned. They helped her loosen and remove most of her clothes and seemed to be trying to relax her. The room slowed it's spinning as they gently helped her back into the bed and cuddled closer to help her feel better.


	6. Chapter 6

Alanna woke slowly. Something was not right, but she couldn't place it. She cracked one eyelid and winced from the pain of the light. Once her eyes adjusted, she looked around herself, still without moving. This was not her room and it must have been a hell of a party because her head felt like there was an entire road crew on the inside trying to find a way out and her mouth tasted like something had crawled into it and died. A week ago. She felt an immediate urge to relieve herself and shifted slightly to slide off the side of the bed.

And encountered a warm, red-headed body. Sliding in the other direction, her naked back bumped into another warm naked body. Oopsie. Must have been a rougher night than she thought. Peeking over her shoulder, she saw a small dark-haired form. She managed to slide out from between Suichi and Hiei and skittered off to the bathroom before she completely embarrassed herself. On the way, she grabbed her bag with a change of clothes - who knows what had happened to the ones she had on last night - and a toothbrush.

Once she was done in the bathroom, Alanna felt almost human. Coming back out, she collected what she could find of her clothes from the night before and started a fresh pot of tea. While she waited for it to brew, she tried to reconstruct the evening and figure out how she wound up naked in bed with both Suichi (eh) and Hiei (ewww). Obviously, given the way she felt this morning she had overindulged in something, the question was, what? Besides the boys, that is.

Sipping on her tea, Alanna started shuffling through the remainder of the supplies to find something to eat for breakfast. Finding the cookie bag with one cookie left in it, she started to pull it out and then put it back and shuddered. No, no cookies for breakfast. Most of the previous evening was a blur, but she did remember Suichi saying something about chocolate causing problems and Yusuke fleeing the very mention of it. She put the bag with the remaining cookie into her pack with the unopened bag for later and kept rummaging.

Alanna was just finishing her second cup of tea and a peanut butter sandwich when there came a quiet groan from the depths of the bed. A few seconds later there was a moan followed shortly thereafter by a flash of red hair and white skin as Kurama raced for the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later with a towel wrapped around the private portions of his anatomy and a slightly green complexion. Alanna handed him a cup of tea and held out a piece of bread with peanut butter on it. Kurama shuddered at the sight of the bread, but took the tea, practically gulping it down in one swallow and then holding the cup out in a mute plea for more.

As Alanna poured the tea, she commented, "You know, Suichi, black lipstick is not really all that attractive when it's smeared all over your face and chest."

Taking a smaller sip from this cup, he grinned painfully back at her. "It's even less appealing on other parts of the anatomy," he agreed, shaking his towel suggestively.

"Ew."

They drank their tea in silence for a few minutes until they heard Hiei stirring. Unlike the other two, Hiei sighed and stretched in a very relaxed manner. Then he looked around and spotted the others sitting at the table nursing both their tea and their headaches. "Has either of you seen my pants?" he asked casually.

Alanna groaned and pointed to the top of a small lamp about halfway across the room from the bed. Grinning, he casually slid from the bed and sauntered over to collect the aforementioned garment and put it on. Going from there to the table, he accepted the cup of tea Alanna held out to him in a still shaking hand. "You two look like hell. After the tea, you should probably try a hot shower and a few bites of breakfast," he offered cheerfully. "What is for breakfast, anyway?"

Alanna and Kurama looked at each other over the rims of their teacups and then fixed accusing stares on the little fire demon. "How is it," Kurama asked, "that you seem to have escaped the almost universal after affects of chocolate? No one ever wakes up from a chocolate induced orgy-"

"ORGY?!?" Alanna's question was half cry and half despairing moan. She instantly regretted making the loud noise and subsided back into her chair with a moan. Kurama continued as if uninterrupted.

"-feeling anything remotely resembling your current relaxed state. Not to mention your lack of cranial pain."

"Hn. I learned that once you eat the first bit, if you just relax and allow the chocolate to have it's 'wicked way' with you, it doesn't hurt in the morning. You-" pointing at Kurama "-have never learned to relax and let nature take its course. You always have to analyze and resist your natural instincts. That's why you hurt and I don't."

Alanna slithered back into her seat with a quiet moan. "I don't care why it hurts," she said quietly. "I just want it to stop so we can get on with this day. I'm going to go take a shower and see if that will help. Hiei, there's peanut butter and bread for breakfast if you feel up to it and there are a few other things in the packs Faith set up for you and Suichi." Alanna grabbed her bag and headed for the bathroom.

"I would not try the human cure called 'hair of the dog that bit you' to fix the headache," Kurama suggested, pouring himself another cup of tea. "More chocolate will just compound the problem and delay our departure even more."

"Yes," a cheerful Hiei agreed, "but if you have to try it, split the last cookie with me and I'll come in and wash your back."

Alanna glared at him and stomped off to the bathroom without a word. She slammed the door and immediately there was a groan from both her and Kurama.

Kurama turned to Hiei. "You know, that really was a cruel thing to suggest."

"I know, but she does have the last cookie in the pack she took in there with her. Besides you were the one who mentioned her trying it. I was simply trying to be helpful. I may not have worked quite all of the chocolate out of my system last night."

"Hiei, you know you really are an evil creature."

"Hn. If you are just now figuring that out, you are not nearly as clever as we have been giving you credit for all these years." Hiei looked at the closed door and sighed. "Ah well, guess she's going to try it the reasonable way. I'll go get Yusuke so that after we get our showers we can get a semi-early start. Besides, I think we are going to be receiving reinforcements on the other side of the portal."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Leona was going to let our friends know what is going on, including your eldest, your son-in-law and your bird-witted brother-in-law, so we are probably going to get help -or at least company - before we get to the Nightmare Realm." With that, Hiei left the room and went down the hall to where Yusuke was waiting and knocked on the door.

There was a sound of heavy furniture being moved and the door opened to show the face of the ex-Spirit Detective. "You're earlier than I expected," he said looking Hiei up and down. He looked more closely at the black smudges disfiguring the demon's face and torso before, realizing what they were, then he blushed.

"Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep," Hiei replied. "We are getting cleaned up and ready, though and Alanna made tea. Care to join us?" Yusuke followed Hiei back to the large common room where they found Alanna trying to restrain her knee-length white hair with one hair tie. She finally settled for combing it out straight and braiding it into one plait that hung to about mid-thigh. The sound of running water came from the bathroom and Kurama was nowhere to be seen.

"Guess I'm next," Hiei said, pouring himself and Yusuke a cup of tea. Alanna just glared at him as she finished tying back the braid. "And make sure while I'm in there that Kur-Suichi explains all about chocolate and . . . us . . . to Alanna before we get held up again."

"Oh, so this is all my fault, huh Shorty?"

"You did bring the cookies."

"Yeah, and what did you put in them? I never had a reaction like that to plain old cookies before and I've been eating them my whole life." Alanna glared at Yusuke and Hiei for a second and then turned her glare to Kurama as he came out of the bathroom, still drying his hair. "And you, Suichi. What in hell has been going on here. I feel like I've been in a bad dream for the last three days."

Hiei sidled past a shocked Kurama. "That's my cue to shower. Be a nice boy, Suichi and explain everything to Alanna. And use small, easily understood words. She seems a trifle slower than usual." Hiei got into the bathroom and had the door shut an instant before the hairbrush hit. He was glad of his inhuman speed and that he was not the one trying to explain to the girl that didn't believe in demons that not only was she one, but she was carrying at least two because of chocolate chip cookies.

"Ah. Yes. About that. Where to begin..." Kurama took a few seconds to collect himself and pick the hairbrush up off the floor. His red hair was in its usual fox-like tail and he was dressed in a pair of dark green pants with a green tunic over a yellow shirt. "Do you recall Alanna, when we were very young I told you I had a demon living inside me?"

"Yeah. You said his name was Youko and when you were grown he would come out and you would be able to do magic. I still haven't seen it." Alanna watched him, clearly puzzled as to where this was leading, as he took a clean cup and settled down with more tea.

"You've made it fairly clear, especially in the last few years that you don't believe in much of the supernatural. I mean like demons and vampires and that sort of thing. I need you to suspend your disbelief for a little while so I can explain about what has been happening."

"That's not exactly easy, Suichi."

"I know, but for just a few minutes, please try to accept what I am telling you, even if it seems unbelievable to you."

"I'll try."

"That's all I can ask. First of all, none of us are totally human. Hiei is a full demon, I am a demon that grew up melded to a human child in his body and Yusuke is . . . different. He was born a human, but his family bloodline included the potential, if one was in the right place at the right time when one died, to be resurrected as a demon. The bloodline is called Mazoku and is traced back to a demon named Reisen who had relations with a human woman about a thousand years ago. When the potential is activated, he could effectively be considered the genetic father of the person bearing it.

"One of the requirements is that the person have a certain amount of personal power within them and that their last breath in their human form be at least partially formed of the air of the demon world, Makai. That happened to Yusuke a while ago and was indicated by a massive surge in both his hair growth and his personal power. It was also indicated by the appearance of body markings that seem to be tattoos, except they are only visible when the person is accessing their Demon Energy."

"But what does this have to do with me? I've never even heard of this stuff."

"No, but you did have an incident where it was thought you had been killed after you, Kiki and the twins were dragged to a place that, from the descriptions I have heard, could only have been Makai. Your hair grew impossibly long in nearly no time and you had the same distinctive markings that I have seen on Yusuke. And, from the story both you and the twins tell, you somehow blasted your attackers and Kiki's killers out of existence just by waving your hand at them and being angry. That is a very Mazoku thing."

"So you think they dragged us off to this Makai place, killed Kiki and me and were trying to steal the children and I turned into some kind of demon and fought them off?"

"It's the only explanation that logically fits the situation."

"Riiggghhhhttt. Except for one problem, bright boy. Demons. Don't. Exist."

"I was hoping to be able to break this to you more gently, Alanna, but they do and I am one."

"Sure, you're some mighty fox demon named Youko Kurama. And Hiei is . . . what? A weasel?"

"No, Hiei is a fire demon and his twin sister Yukina is an Ice demon."

"Suichi, as a personal favor to you, I am going to look on this episode as a very bad dream and just say that I believe whatever you tell me. So, we are going to hunt down the monster, a demon, no doubt, who is responsible for killing Kiki, Missy and Mercy in some mythical place that doesn't exist, does that about sum it up?"

Kurama sighed. "If that's how you need to get through it, Alanna, but you need to remember that this is serious and we are no doubt going to be involved in life or death struggles against other demons, so if you want to come along, you had better be ready to fight."

"Suichi, you should know me well enough by now to know I am always ready to fight."

"Yes, Alanna, I do know that much, but we are going to be meeting . . . people like none you've ever seen before and you need to make sure they are foes before you attack. Not everyone in Makai will be against us. Also, you need to work with Yusuke to control your destructive energies. He has the same powers and should be able to help you."

"What kind of . . . people are we talking about here, Suichi? And what do you mean I need to work with Yusuke? How come he has the same 'powers' I do?"

Yusuke grinned and answered the last part first. "I have the same powers because they are from the same source. Welcome to the family, Sis."

"Even for a dream, this is too weird. I can't be your sister. I know my family and we are not related."

"Actually," Kurama said, "you are. You share the same demon ancestor and when you changed from human to demon you became practically genetic twins. Siblings, as it were."

"Not that there weren't similarities before," added Hiei from the bathroom door. He was clean now and suitably attired for travel or fighting. Or both, if necessary. "Kurama, did you get to the part about the babies yet?"

"BABIES?!? What babies? Whose babies?" Alanna's face was usually that pale, pasty white, but generally that was an effect of the makeup she was not wearing now.

"No, Hiei. I hadn't actually and thank you for interjecting one more bit of complication in what is already a difficult explanation." Kurama's tone held a world of censure, but Hiei just gave a feral grin and spoke to Alanna.

"Our babies. Yours, mine and his. You don't give three demons that much chocolate and not come out with at least 2 infants at some point." Alanna stared at him in horror and then slid from her chair to the floor in a faint.

"Hn. Didn't think she'd overload that easily." Hiei commented as he started putting his remaining possessions into his pack. He put several squirt guns into hidden pockets in his tunic as Kurama and Yusuke helped Alanna back into the chair. "Let's get going. Things are going to get weirder from here on out."

"Like that's possible," Alanna muttered under her breath as she got her things packed together. Kurama and Yusuke were ready to go and they all headed out.

Kurama advised everyone to put at least two of the squirt guns in easily accessible pockets, but to use them only in emergencies. "They're our secret weapon," he explained. Hiei and Yusuke nodded and Alanna just grunted, but they all did as they were told. There was no question about who was heading up this operation.

After Hiei ensured that they would not be observed leaving their hide-out, he sealed the door behind them and led the way to a cave in the forest where the portal was. Once the portal was opened, there would be no turning back. No one spoke as Kurama opened the portal and they all stepped through into the demon world of Makai.


	7. Chapter 7

Alanna was clearly stunned when they stepped from the dark, cramped cave through a tiny hole in the air onto an open plain. She cringed as she looked around and saw that the only sign of where they had come from was a slight distortion in the air behind them. Kurama placed four rocks around the distortion so they could find it again and off they went. Apparently they were headed toward an impossibly tall black tower some distance away. Impossible being a relative term.

To anyone looking at Alanna with just their eyes, she seemed calm enough, if a bit quieter than usual. Hiei, however was aware that on the inside she was gibbering with a combination of terror, disbelief and horror. He let Kurama know telepathically, but, since there wasn't much they could do to help, they resolved just to keep an eye on her.

After they had traveled for a couple of hours, they came to what appeared to be an encampment of some sort. Hiei and Kurama closed in around Alanna to ensure that the collection of assorted demons did not cause her to panic and bolt. Yusuke stepped out in front and greeted those he knew, including the Wind Master Jin and the Ice Master Touya. With Jin was a female demon with flowing red and gold hair and huge gold wings. He introduced her to Yusuke as his wife, Holly.

"O' course I don't be needin' ta introduce her ta you two," he said to Hiei and Kurama, "but who's the pretty lass with ye?"

"Alanna, this is Jin, Master of the winds," Kurama said, pulling her gently forward. "And this is my daughter, Hollyanna, better known as Holly. Jin, Holly, this is Alanna, recently converted Mazoku and my best friend since pre-school."

"Pleased to - your DAUGHTER?!?" Alanna's jaw dropped again and Holly laughed.

"Nice to meet you, too. So, you are technically Yusuke's sister? Bummer," she laughed again.

"Now now, Holly. Be nice," Hiei chimed in with a vicious grin. "Alanna is going to be your new stepmother and is already carrying your next half sibling."

"Hiei, it really isn't necessary to announce that to everyone we meet," Kurama chided as Alanna turned a vivid shade of red.

"Why not? I'll say the same thing to Leona when I see her."

"Say what to me?" The demoness in question strolled up, hand in hand with Shishi Wakamaru.

"That our friend Alanna here is going to be your stepmother and she's already carrying your next half sibling." Hiei smiled toward his daughter. Alanna choked as she realized that Leona stood a good head taller than she did and carried an axe almost as wide as she was tall.

"Dad! How could you? Missy's ashes have hardly cooled and you have already taken up with this . . . human?"

"Chocolate makes no allowances for grief. And she isn't human, she's Mazoku." Hiei glared at where his daughter's hand was clasped with Kiki's brother's. "And speaking of taking up with unacceptable . . . creatures. . ."

"Don't be silly, Daddy. Shishi and I have known each other since your last wedding and we have been thinking of settling down for a while. We just want to get this last bit of family business taken care of and then we will be getting married ourselves. He asked and I just couldn't say no to those pretty purple eyes."

"Hn." Hiei and Leona stared at each other briefly and then nodded.

"Wait a minute," Alanna finally got her voice back and was staring at Leona and Holly. "Are you trying to tell me that this Holly broad is your daughter, Suichi? And that Leona is Hiei's? That's not possible. First of all they are both older than you and I are and second-"

"Alanna. Stop." Kurama interrupted her and pulled her slightly to one side. "I told you that I had an ancient demon that joined with my body before I was born. Holly is the offspring of my original body, not this one. And Leona is Hiei's. They are the same age and actually, Kiki was about the same age as well. A little over 500 years old. You have to get yourself together. If you can't handle all this, I will take you back to Genkai's and we will carry on without you. Is that what you want?"

"No, Suichi. I'm sorry. I'm just a little freaked out. And who's the guy with Leona? He looks a little familiar."

"That's Kiki's older brother, Shishi. Now, if you can keep it together till we get to the fighting part, I'll introduce you to the rest of the group."

"I'll try."

"Good girl" Kurama proceeded to introduce Alanna to Chu, Rinku, Touya, and a host of others he had met in the Dark Tournament and the Makai Tournament. He was pleased at the turnout to attack Kharistahl, but a group this large could not have gathered without attracting her attention. After he got Alanna introduced and left her chatting with a few of Yusuke's most human appearing followers, he sought out Hiei and mentioned his concern to him. Hiei called Leona over. Holly joined them as well.

"That's why Gramps had us meet here," Leona explained after hearing Kurama's thought. "The Nightmare Realm has been tightening up and mobilizing their forces for about a week now, but things went kind of crazy two days ago. Guess that was when the word of the . . . results of the attack on the Human World reached them. Kharistahl had to know you were going to be coming after her, so they buttoned the place shut and nobody has gone in or out since."

"That's not good." Kurama mused. "There has to be a way to get in to her or we'll just spend our entire time here fighting minions while she figures out how to get into Genkai's temple and finishing the job her goons failed."

"I hope not," Holly interjected. "I sent Koko there with the girls. Knowing what a vindictive bitch Kharistahl can be, I figured that if we were going after her we needed all the kids safe. She's not exactly discriminating about who gets hurt in her attacks and enjoys the pain that hurting kids causes the parents. Sorry, Hiei."

"Hn. I already knew that, but she has misjudged us if she expects us to be so crippled by grief that we aren't going to get in there and rip her limb from limb and then dip all the pieces in acid and smash her crystal to dust and-"

"I think that will be enough, Hiei," Kurama interrupted. "We all feel the same way, but we can't let fury overcome good sense or we will all be killed and she will still be there tormenting innocent people."

"Hn. So what's the plan?" Hiei snarled toward the tower. "We can't go in there counting on luck like we did last time. After all, this time she knows you aren't going to do what she wanted you to do."

"That's true enough. I had hoped to get here before they were ready for us, but I guess Kharistahl was planning on us arriving before she launched her attack. I just wish I knew what she was after this time. She made sure we were out of the way before her minions attacked, so she had to know WE weren't going to be hit."

"According to the sources I heard from," Leona said, " The original plan was to kill the spouses and steal the children. Not hurt them. Apparently they had not planned on the children being able to defend themselves."

"I suppose that makes more sense, then." Kurama sighed. "The plan was pretty much the same. She just wanted to have her hostages on hand before contacting us about options. She didn't want us to be able to say we wouldn't comply this time. And she wanted us to suffer."

"Hn. If that was the plan, it pretty much blew up in her face."

"True. That would account for the tightening security before the attack and the complete sealing of the Nightmare Realm now. Kharistahl has no hostages to hide behind and a horde of angry demons preparing to go in there and take the entire place and her apart."

"So what do we do now?" Holly looked around at the loosely gathered federation of demons. "We can't just sit here and wait for her to open the gates for us. That won't happen until she has collected whatever potential hostages are still alive and has them in her slimy grasp. Something I would prefer not happen to Jinny and Fyrra."

"I am not in favor of that option either." Kurama stared off into space for a moment, thinking furiously. Then he sighed. "I guess I will have to go in alone and negotiate with her."

"Hn. Not alone you don't."

"Hiei, be reasonable. No one who goes in there with me can expect to come back out alive."

"Like I care. Besides, if we have to use 'the secret weapon' I am still a faster and better shot than you are."

"Be that as it may, I am not even sure I will come out and if that happens, YOU need to be here to take care of Alanna and the children."

"Well maybe you should stay here to take care of Alanna and the children and I should go in alone."

"Hiei, she'll never believe you were sent for anything other than assassination and you'll be killed before you even get close to her. Then we'll have to send someone else in anyway."

"He's got a point, Uncle Hiei."

"Yeah Dad. Who'd ever believe you were going in anywhere to negotiate? We can't let you just wander in there to die. I'll go with Kurama."

"No. Leona. He's my father. I'll go with him."

"Hn. Neither of you is going. If any one goes, it will be me."

The two demonesses stepped between Hiei and Kurama, still arguing, but Holly waved her hand at Kurama behind her back. He started edging slowly away hoping to leave the area unnoticed. And he almost made it.

"So, where are we headed, Suichi?" Alanna fell into step beside him as he eased his way away from the crowd.

"Alanna, please don't you start this, too. I am going to the Nightmare Realm alone to negotiate with Kharistahl and you and the rest of this . . . menagerie are going to stay here." He glared at her as they passed around a rock formation and out of sight of the rest of the assembled demons.

"I don't think so, Kurama." Yusuke said, stepping out from behind the rocks and joining step on his other side. "I don't think that's a good plan at all. After all, why should Kharistahl let you or anyone else walk back out of there once they were stupid enough to walk in? After all, everyone she can eliminate now is one less bloodthirsty enemy to worry about later. Especially you. After all, if she can't have 'The Coldest Mind in Makai' working for her, she damned sure doesn't want you working against her."

Alanna stopped dead in her tracks for a second. "Did you think that up yourself or did somebody else feed you that line?"

Yusuke looked down for a moment and kicked a rock out of his way. Then he looked back with a grin. "Actually, that is the consensus of a number of people who are dead set against having Kurama walk into Kharistahl's clutches, alone or not."

"Really," Kurama said as they stepped out of the shadow of the rocks. "Like who?"

"US!" came the combined voices of almost all the demons he had thought oblivious to his attempted escape. The pack, led by Hiei, Holly and Leona, descended on him and literally dragged him back to the fire at the center of the camp. There he was planted rather firmly in a seat with several large and unpleasant looking creatures stationed obviously around him.

"Now,-" Holly started.

"-let's discuss-" Leona continued.

"-Strategy." Hiei finished. "And forget any plans that involve you - or anyone else-" Hiei glared at the assembly. "Going in there alone."

"But Hiei, it only makes sense-"

"If you want to get yourself killed, yes. Otherwise, come up with a real plan." There were several grunts of agreement from the surrounding demons.

Kurama looked around at the gathered demons and grinned. "So, you aren't going to let me go in there alone and talk to the old . . . to Kharistahl?"

"No. And if you were half as smart as you think you are most days, you would already have known that." Holly glared down at him. "I know you want to go in there and solve the problem by killing Kharistahl all by yourself and thereby avenging your wife, but other people deserve a shot at her, too."

"Hn. Yes. Some of us lost everything to that evil bitch." Hiei looked around. "If anyone is going to go on a suicide mission and take on the entire Nightmare Realm to get to her, it should be me. You still have children to take care of."

"Yes, Hiei, but thanks to Alanna's cookie fetish you are going to have another child to take care of as well, soon."

"And so are you, so that doesn't count. Besides, with a Mazoku for a mother neither of them is going to be in any danger of anything except boredom and each other."

Several people looked at Alanna and she blushed and stayed uncharacteristically silent in the wake of this exchange. Hiei and Kurama glared at each other for a few minutes and then Holly and Leona reached out and cuffed their respective fathers on the back of the heads.

"Never mind that." Leona said.

"We need a plan that will allow us all to get a shot at vengeance. After all, Kiki was my best friend growing up."

"And she was my sister." Shishi was quickly shushed by Leona.

"Come on, Dad," Holly urged. "There has to be something rattling around in that mind of yours that we can use. We even have a map of the Nightmare Realm, such as it is, showing all the known entrances and exits. They all seem to be guarded, but there has to be a way to get in, do what we need to do and get out. You are the master planner here. So plan."

Everyone looked expectantly at Kurama, so he sighed and started studying the maps and floor plans laid out in front of him. The plans even included the location and numbers of guards and the schedules on which they were changed in several places. After studying it a while, a plan began to form. Not perfect by any means, but a plan, none the less.


	8. Chapter 8

"All right." Kurama sat back and stretched. "The most important part of this operation is surprise. Kharistahl is expecting any number of clever plans and diversions. So we shall show her what she expects to see and then do the unexpected. The large majority of our forces, led by myself, Hiei, Yusuke, Leona, Holly and Shishi will march up to the front gate and demand that Kharistahl present herself to atone for her crimes.

"Meanwhile, several discrete and talented groups will attempt entry through entrances here-" pointing at the map "here, here and here. Now, should any of those groups gain entrance, they will attempt to get to the main gate and open it, thereby allowing our main forces to enter." Kurama looked around at the varied faces. "Do not put yourselves into danger. Once the gate is opened, we will need you for back-up because it is guaranteed that Kharistahl will throw everything she has against those of us at the front gate. Her attention will be focused on us at that point, so you should be able to get behind her forces and take out her commanders. Once the commanders are gone, her forces will collapse and we should have no trouble getting to her and eliminating her once and for all."

There was a great deal of talking amongst the demons as each one was given their individual assignments. It was decided that the secondary parties would set out well in advance of the main party. The better to be in position to attack when the time came. Once the distractions were out of the way, Kurama took a few select groups of his friends aside and explained about the water pistols and gave several of them out. With due cautions about not using them when there were friends in the possible target area.

"After all, we're here to get rid of Kharistahl once and for all, not to settle personal grudges." The heavy duty backpack model went onto Yusuke. He was one of the few members of the party with enough human in him to resist the effects of the water.

After waiting long enough for the preliminary forces to get into position, Kurama and the main force headed out. They reached the main gates to the Nightmare Realm about two hours later and announced their intention to take Kharistahl, by force, if necessary. One of the guards left the gate to carry the message and the party waited while Kharistahl prepared her answer. Meanwhile, the rest of the fighters were trying to discretely gain entry through their designated entrances.

After about a half an hour of waiting, the main gates opened and a demon with a white flag came forward to meet them. "Lady Kharistahl regrets that she will not be able to meet you in person, but she, her advisors and her children have left on an extended visit to her mountain retreat. She left a message that, should you arrive during her absence, you should have full run of the Nightmare realm and all available courtesies."

Kurama looked at Hiei who had been staring at the demon for the entire speech. "That's what he believes and may be true. According to his mind, Kharistahl set out with her personal guard two days ago. The message was left for any of us that survived and showed up." Hiei's face and voice showed no emotion as he reported his findings to Kurama. The air around him, however shimmered with black fire. He turned and looked around them and then back at Kurama.

"So, what are we going to do now?"

"Why Hiei. That's a silly question." Kurama looked around at the assembled demons. "We're going to take her up on her kind offer, of course. We'll be staying for quite a while. Actually until she comes back and we can deal with her. In the meantime," he grinned toward Kharistahl's minion, "we will be needing rooms for our entire party and a banquet for each meal for the duration of our stay."

"Of course, sir." The minion bowed and headed into the castle, followed by the entire group. He led them into the throne room and asked them to wait while he arranged for the rooms and meals. A buffet was set out with food and drinks and everyone settled down for a real planning session.

"First, we need to determine if Kharistahl has actually vacated the premises or if that is just the story the servants are putting about in order to save themselves. Hiei?"

"The servants here all believe she's gone, but she will be back. No one has a clue when. In the meantime, their instructions appear to be to follow whatever we tell them to do."

"I say we trash the place." Alanna's bold statement met with approval from a majority of the party.

"I agree," Kurama said, "but-"

"There's always a 'but' with you, Dad. Why can't you just go with it? Who knows, you might even enjoy it."

"Don't be silly, Holly. He can't do that. He doesn't know how, just like my dad." Leona added cheerfully.

Hiei and Kurama looked at each other for a moment and groaned.

"I hate to say it, Suichi, but the girls are right. You two wouldn't know fun if it came up and bit you on the ass. C'mon, girls. We can trash the place starting at the top. I brought more cookies."

Before the horror-stricken Hiei and Kurama could catch them, the three girls were out the door looking for the stairs up. The odor of chocolate cookies drew a number of other demons along behind them. Kurama dropped his head into his hands.

"Hn. I suppose we have to go save the cook- girls now."

"Yes, Hiei. We do. But once we catch up with Alanna, you may take her cookies away and hide them in a safe place until later." Hiei's head whipped back. "And not in your stomach. We don't need more chocolate while we are trying to find whatever traps and tricks Kharistahl has planned for us."

Suddenly there was a loud crash and the sound of shattering crystal. Hiei and Kurama raced out into the next room to find Alanna and Leona surrounded by male demons and Holly hovering near the ceiling where she had apparently just facilitated the elimination of a number of other demons by use of a large chandelier. Hence the crash.

"Oopsie, guess who's a butterfingers." Holly's apology was so patently insincere that Alanna grabbed the last cookie from the open bag and tossed it to her.

"Good girl." Holly laughed as she caught the cookie and tucked into the pouch at her waist. A good half dozen demons attempted to follow the path of the cookie and found themselves blown back to the floor by short, violent wind gusts as Jin appeared next to his wife.

"Ye'll be keepin' yer distance from me Holly, lads." He wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her to his side. Naturally, she swatted the fingers roving too close to the cookie pouch.

"I'll share it with you later. Right now we have a castle to trash."

Kurama shook his head. "All right. You're going to get your fun. Let's at least do this in some sort of order so we don't miss anything. We shall start at the top level and work our way to the lowest level. Anyone coming across anything looking like a trap, or a lock they can't open come find me."

"C'mon, Dad. That's silly. I don't think there's a lock out there that I can't open. After all, I learned from the best." drawing her hand forward and creating a ball of lightning on it. "Hiei!"

She slapped the lightning ball onto the fingers sliding toward the pouch at her belt.

"Hn. Keep it then. After all, I know where there are more." Everyone close took a step away as Hiei laughed maniacally.

"I've never seen anyone go that crazy over cookies before." Alanna shook her head in bewilderment as she and Kurama headed up the stairs. "What's wrong with the little freak, anyway?"

"It's not the cookies, Alanna. It's the chocolate." He replied as he swiftly removed the remaining unopened bag from her pack. Fortunately, he was smooth enough that Alanna did not notice, even when he tucked them into his own. "You should know by now that Hiei has a 'thing' for chocolate."

"That's not all he has a 'thing' for." She grumped. They continued climbing the stairs in silence for several more floors. "How tall does this thing go?"

"I'm not sure, but we appear to be about halfway up."

"Doesn't this crazy place have an elevator or something?" The demons following behind echoed her discontent.

No one's temper was improved when Hiei leaned over the railing on the next floor up and called down, "Why are you climbing all those stairs when there is a perfectly fine elevator to the roof?"

They rapidly joined him and from there, they went in groups of seven to ten (depending on the relative size of the demons involved) directly to the roof from which they could overlook the entire Nightmare Realm. They spread out and examined every chimney, outcropping and doorway on the entire roof before proceeding to the top floor and Kharistahl's personal apartments.

Most of the rooms were luxuriously appointed, but there were three or four that were obviously used as torture chambers. No prisoners were housed there just then, but there were plenty of indications that not everything there was for show. It was a gristly display that caused more than one of the group to shudder.

Kharistahl had apparently stripped the rooms of anything she wanted to keep, but there were still lots of things to be looted. Jewels, silks, beautiful garments, all went with the searchers as they moved to the next level.

Here were the apartments of Kharistahl's lieutenants and children. This information was provided by the helpful servants who were making the rooms over for the invaders. Again, the places had been stripped of most personal belongings, but there were still lots of things to steal. Several members of the party decided to stay and claim the rooms themselves for the duration of their stay. While they were settling in, the rest continued on to the next levels.

The next four floors consisted of apartments used for guests and high-ranking minions. The areas were not particularly impressive, but the majority of the assembled demons claimed lodgings in this area. Kurama found a couple of servants and asked that Kharistahl's quarters be reorganized for himself, Alanna, Hiei, Yusuke and their respective offspring. He was assured it would be taken care of.

"Is that really a good idea?" Hiei asked.

"Possibly not, but we have already cleared out almost everything and everyone from that area and we should be able to rest there for however long it takes to finish what we came here for. Besides," and he gave a feral grin, "which bed do you think would be the safest in this madhouse?"

"Hn." It wasn't really an answer, but it was the closest he was getting.

Just below the guest quarters were two levels of servants quarters. Nothing of interest there to speak of, although there was a good bit of loot in the closets. Fancy decorations for the guest rooms and such.

Once they were done with the servants quarters, the group reunited in the throne room where a feast was set out for them. After the first few demons had eaten their fill without dropping over dead, everyone else attacked the food. Once their hunger was satisfied, a few demons were assigned to watch while the rest went to get some rest.

Kharistahl's quarters had been prepared according to Kurama's instructions. Hiei, Alanna and Kurama would share the main bedroom. Three other sleeping chambers had been made up for Yusuke, Holly and Jin, and Leona and Shishi. Hiei and Shishi had the first watch in the main antechamber while the others retired to sleep.

"So," Hiei said as soon as they were alone. "You think you want to marry Leona."

"No, I know I want to marry Leona. Regardless of the potential in-law problems."

"So, you think your mother might not approve of the match?" Hiei challenged. "I always thought you were a bit of a sissyish mama's-boy."

"Actually, I was thinking of her father. He's a little lacking in height, temper and intelligence." Shishi smiled. "Oh, and we can't forget tact. But I love her enough to overcome these - shortcomings."

"Hn."

Two hours later, Shishi woke Yusuke and Hiei went to go get Jin for the next watch.

As he approached the door to Jin and Holly's room, her heard a strange rhythmic squeaking. Using his Jagan to peek into the room, he stepped away from the door. Shishi had already gone to his own rest as Hiei joined Yusuke on watch.


	9. Chapter 9

"Where's Jin?"

"I'm taking this watch for him."

"But you need your sleep, too. It's his turn to watch."

"Hn. I said I would take his watch. He is a trifle occupied just now. Besides, I don't need as much sleep as some of you frailer demons."

"Hiei, don't be stupid. Everyone needs sleep. If you won't get him, I will."

"I wouldn't advise that," Hiei said with a small smile. "Alanna gave Holly one of those chocolate chip cookies earlier and..."

"That doesn't mean he gets to skip his watch." Yusuke stormed over to the door to the room where Jin and Holly were . . . resting and rapped commandingly at the door. For a moment, there was no response. He knocked again. The muted squeaking from the room stopped. Hiei leaned against a nearby wall and observed with a small and faintly malicious grin. Yusuke knocked yet again. This time they heard Jin's voice respond.

"If yer knockin' on me door intentional, the castle had better be on fire and everybody needin' to evacuate."

"C'mon Jin. Get your pants back on and get out here. It's your turn for watch and Hiei needs his beauty sleep."

"Go away, Urameshi," came Holly's voice. "No amount of beauty sleep is going to help Hiei and I need Jin for a bit longer here. You can have him when I'm done with him if there's anything left."

Hiei looked vaguely offended by both comments, but his amusement at the frustration on Yusuke's face definitely overrode it. "I told you. Jin is not going to be available for quite some time. He's a little tied up. Literally."

Yusuke ground his teeth, but could not think of an appropriate retort - not an unusual condition for Yusuke - and settled down to wait out his two hours, half hoping something exciting would happen to relieve the boredom. About a half hour later, a giggling Holly shoved Jin out the door for his watch and Hiei went into the room he shared with Alanna and Kurama.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully and the following morning, after a huge breakfast feast, the searching of Kharistahl's stronghold continued. The level below the servants quarters was taken up by the kitchens and storage areas for various foodstuffs. It was quickly determined that there was little of interest to the treasure hunters there, though the next level was, consisting as it did of the storage areas for the wine and liquor supplies. A number of the demons were diverted at that point.

The next level was the ground floor and included the major formal rooms, which had already been thoroughly ransacked. Below that was the main dungeon, where they released almost all the prisoners. A few they were forced to leave confined as they could not get them to understand they were being rescued. They had apparently been there long enough to have been driven irrevocably mad.

Once they had cleared out, as much as was possible, the dungeon, they returned to the throne room. Not that they were terribly hungry after the harrowing experience, but everyone needed a break. After a while, those of them with the sternest stomachs continued on to the next level. Here they found a number of sealed vaults. Holly and Kurama seemed the most proficient at dealing with the locks, but they were slowed down as the doors were opened to reveal amazing treasures. One room held thousands of bolts of fabrics. Silks, satins, velvets and more stretched from floor to ceiling in a fascinating rainbow of colors and shades. The next held gold and silver tableware. The next jewelry of gold and precious gems. Still another held Jewelry of silver and gems.

The members of the party arrayed themselves in fantastic collections of gold and silver and gems without making a dent in the treasure. When they had all they could carry, they went to the elevators, took the loot to their rooms and returned for more, summoning their remaining companions to join in the looting.

After examining and discarding the majority of the treasure as simple distraction, Kurama, Hiei and Alanna continued opening doors and discovered a stairway leading still further down. It was narrow and poorly lit, but appeared to be in use. They decided to investigate. Moving carefully down the stairs, they stopped when they heard what seemed to be the voice of a girl singing below them. It sounded very young and lonely. Continuing onward, they found a single door at the base of the stairs with a set of keys hanging on a hook just around the last corner from it.

From somewhere just on the other side of the door, they could hear the wordless, almost tuneless sound of a young girl's voice. Singing didn't describe the sounds, but it seemed more than humming. Mostly it seemed sad, lonely and afraid. Hiei and Kurama looked at each other for a moment and then Alanna pushed them both aside and snatched the keys off the wall. The sounds from inside the door stopped.

"Who's there?" a high-pitched voice called out. "It isn't time for my dinner yet, so if you open this door, Mommy's going to be very angry with you, whoever you are."

Alanna shrugged to the other two and fiddled with the keys until she found the one that opened the door. "No need to worry. We're friends and we have come to rescue you." she announced as the door swung wide to reveal a tiny young girl, apparently teenage equivalent, with silver hair curling and tumbling around her face and down her back to her waistline. Her midnight blue eyes seemed enormously oversized in her slender face. Standing, she barely topped Hiei's shoulder and if she weighed more than 50 pounds, it was the extra hair. And the dirt.

The girl retreated to the farthest corner of the room in apparent terror. "You can't be friends. Mommy doesn't let anyone come down here except for her and Akira and the servants that bring me my food." They advanced into the room, bringing a torch with them. "If you go away now and leave everything the way you found it, I won't tell Mommy you were down here and she won't have to eliminate you."

"That sounds almost fair," Kurama said, circling slightly to the left of the others. "But, tell me. What is your name and who is your Mommy?"

"Oh, I'm Mariko, daughter of Kharistahl, Queen of Nightmares and Torment and Raisen, Lord of the Mazoku." Hiei almost choked. Kurama paled a bit and Alanna looked confused for a moment.

"Huh. We must be related. Everybody keeps telling me I'm one of those Mazo-thingies too." Alanna walked up and looked down at the child. "You can't stay here. You'll stunt your growth. And you're too small as it is. Besides, it's filthy and disgusting. And look at all these rats. Ewwww."

Mariko blinked up at Alanna for a moment. "But these rats are my friends. And we can't be related. I'm only related to Mommy and Akira. Oh, and Cheiko. She's my half sister and she never comes down here. She thinks I'm a lost cause," she finished sadly.

"Why do they keep you down here, anyway?" Kurama asked.

Mariko sighed. "Because I'm not really the same as the rest of the family. Mommy says I need to learn to enjoy being evil and I have to stay here until I do."

"How does she expect you to learn to be evil if you never see it in action?" Hiei inquired.

"It's supposed to be in me and will come out in it's own time. At least that's what she tells me."

"How long have you been down here?" Kurama's turn. Meanwhile Alanna was cuddling the child. When she tried to get closer, however, she found that Mariko was wearing a collar that was attached to the back wall of her cell by a chain. She caught Kurama's eye over the girl's head and nodded at the collar.

"I've been here as long as I can remember," Mariko replied. "Mommy and Akira come down and ask me questions about things, but the answers are never right and they go away."

"Hn. I still say the only way to learn about evil is to go out into the world and see what it is." Hiei looked around him and sneered. "What can this teach you except boredom?"

Kurama examined the collar and the chain for a few seconds, nodded to himself and crushed the small lock holding the collar closed. Mariko grabbed for it as it fell, but Alanna pushed her hands away and started leading her out of the tiny cell. Mariko resisted half heartedly. "I can't go out. Mommy says I need to stay here until I learn to be evil."

"I think," Alanna said slowly to the girl, "I think that the first evil act you need to learn is to disobey your Mommy and come with us out into the world."

"Yes," Kurama agreed following close behind as they started up the stairs. "Perhaps what you have been needing to learn is to NOT do exactly as you are told and to go out and discover what evil is in you on your own."

"Do you think so?" Mariko asked, her eyes wide as they reached the top of the stairs and found the elevator to their quarters. "Is that being truly evil?"

"Hn. It's a better start than staying in that hole and doing whatever you are told."

"Hush, Hiei." Alanna glared at him. "You're not helping."

"Hn."

Once the elevator reached their quarters, Alanna hustled Mariko into the bathing chamber explaining that nothing made a girl feel better when planning evil deeds than a long hot soak in a tub full of bubbles. Especially if her hair was washed and conditioned and combed out while she was soaking. Kurama ordered a meal, not too heavy, because it seemed that the girl was barely even skin and bones. Hiei was sent down to the treasure rooms to find midnight blue silk with silver (Alanna was sure she had seen some) and silver and sapphire jewelry and hair accessories to match.

By the time the bath was over, Mariko had been hand fed an assortment of delicacies she had never tasted before. Her hair had been scrubbed, combed, brushed, conditioned and treated to within an inch of its life. Clean and straightened, it hung past her knees and when braided brushed the back of her legs at mid-thigh. Hiei had found several bolts of fabric that kind of matched the description that Alanna had given him and had them all brought to the common room of the suite along with every piece of silver that had a blue stone in it that he saw. It took several trips by assorted servants to deliver the booty.

Alanna had Mariko wrap up in a big, fluffy robe she had found and went through all the wardrobes she could find to get appropriate undergarments for the girl. Then, once she was dressed in a camisole and silky shorts, Alanna chased all the males out of the suite and sent orders to the kitchen for more trays of light refreshments to be delivered. She also sent for a seamstress and then settled down to help Mariko dress properly. She sent servants back for silver and white fabrics to be delivered to the suite.

The snacks, seamstress and additional fabrics arrived almost simultaneously. For the next two hours, Mariko was measured, pinched, prodded and stuck with pins to get the styles and cuts set up. Then, as Mariko nibbled on the assorted offerings, Alanna worked with the seamstress to design and determine what fabrics would go into each outfit. Three hours later, Mariko was curled up in a chair asleep like a puppy, thumb firmly implanted in mouth as Alanna sent the seamstress off to get started on the first few outfits.


	10. Chapter 10

When Alanna and Mariko went down to the main throne room for the next meal, Mariko attracted a bit of attention in her tunic and loose pants. It was the fastest outfit that could be assembled for her. The top hung down to about mid-thigh and was of a deep blue with silver threads, looking like a night sky with stars. The pants were of some gauzy silver material, showing her legs to advantage. She was bare-footed because no shoes small enough to fit her could be found. Finding herself the center of so much attention was uncomfortable for Mariko and she mostly hid behind Alanna.

Alanna and Mariko sat at a small table off to one side with a good view of the room. Shortly thereafter, they were joined by Hiei, Kurama and Yusuke. "I hear you're my newest sister," Yusuke announced as he sat down. Mariko's eyes flashed over to him. "Hiei and Kurama tell me that your father was Raisen. Genetically, he was my father, too. So that makes you my sister. Just like Alanna."

Alanna glared at Yusuke briefly, her gaze promising retribution. Then she turned to Mariko. "See, I told you we were related. I've always wanted a little sister."

"I don't think Akira is going to like finding out that you two are his siblings. After all, he has always said that He considered me his only true sister and that he was my only true brother. I should probably get back to my room now. He and Mommy are already going to be angry that I left it at all."

"Hn. You can't go yet. You haven't even seen true evil to see if you are going to like it."

"Shorty's right. Besides, I thought we had decided that you were going to try living out in the open with us for a while in defiance of your mother's orders. Isn't this your first evil act?"

"Erm . . . I guess, but I am not sure that this is what Mommy had in mind when she told me I needed to embrace my inner evil...ness."

Kurama was about to add his assurances that she was doing the right thing when the double doors at the far end of the throne room burst in. A number of armed and armored soldiers entered with weapons drawn. Everyone in the room froze.

"Youko Kurama and Hiei. Come forward," the apparent leader of the group shouted.

"Well, well, well." drawled Yusuke as he strolled out of the crowd, followed by an impressive number of powerful demons. "If it isn't the Spirit World Special Defense Forces. Late as always. Leaving everything for us to clean up."

"Back off, Urameshi. We're not here for you. This time." the leader said.

"Yeah," Leona slurred from beside him, walking beside Yusuke before resting her elbow on his shoulder with her drink horn still in hand and looking at the people in front of them, "Kill a human woman and a halfling child, nothin'. But, you trash one evil villain's castle and they're on us like vultures on a corpse."

An ugly murmur of support growled through the growing and tightening mob. Hiei and Kurama exchanged glances and then stood up from the table in the far corner where they were relaxing. They started to move toward the door. Kurama looked back at Alanna and Mariko.

"Suichi, what the hell's going on?" Alanna's loud voice cut through the quiet crowd. "And who the hell are those costumed freaks?" Heads started to turn toward the corner. Kurama sighed.

"Alanna, just wait there. I am going to take care of this. You take care of your sister." He nodded toward where Mariko was pressed as far out of the light as she could in an obviously terrified manner. "And don't go blurting things out. While I may find it vaguely amusing some days, there are people who would give a lot to know about certain . . . antecedents." At Alanna's baffled expression he sighed again. He pointed with his chin toward Mariko and said, "Parents."

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh. There are those here who would...do almost anything to a child of our mutual enemy."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Then you stay here and I'll go chat with the boys in the uniforms." Hiei was facing away, but the flinch he gave at that statement was visible to all. Mariko relaxed in the corner watching the practically pointed discussion about who was going to watch her and who got to beat up the intruders with awe and amazement.

Suddenly, Yusuke, Holly, Jin, Leona, Shishi, Touya, Suzuka and Chu stepped out of the crowd and surrounded Kurama, Hiei and the table just as the crowd opened between them and the armed Spirit World Forces. Hiei and Kurama stepped forward and the circle was closed. Kurama stood in the front, just to the center.

"May I ask why you have burst in on a relatively peaceful gathering?" he asked civilly.

His voice was not above the level of conversation, but everyone in the room heard the calm question and turned to see what the Special Forces leader would say next. This could get interesting. Or ugly. Or both, depending upon one's point of view. One thing was clear, however. Kurama had complete control of the situation. The leader stopped for a second to collect himself. There was muted violence in the air, but at least it was not imminent.

The leader looked around at the unfriendly faces surrounding him. He dipped his head slightly to Kurama. "Sorry to interrupt your . . . gathering. I was sent by King Yama to investigate a report of the murder of your respective spouses and Hiei's daughter. We had to negotiate with the current leader of Makai and he insisted on sending extra warriors from his personal guards to assist in the . . . investigation. It took us a bit longer than we expected to get here."

"And you came here because . . . ?" Leona's sarcasm was palpable.

"No, let me guess," Holly added. "You're here because you expected to get here and find Kharistahl home and waiting for you to drag her off. Is that about right?"

"I . . . I-" the leader might have been relieved at the interruption if it hadn't come from Kurama.

"Perhaps they really are here expecting to find Kharistahl." Kurama lead the laughter at that notion. "But she went on vacation and left orders for the servants to give us whatever we want except her location and expected date of return. So unless you have that information or are ready to camp out here in her hall until she shows back up while your teams hunt the rest of Makai for her, you can go home now."

The entire Special Forces team bowed down to Kurama and Hiei. "Sirs," the leader said, "Lord Koenma sent us with his condolences. That is exactly what we have been ordered to do. Lord Koenma has detached six hands of our forces, this of mine and five others, to occupy this castle until we are relieved or Kharistahl captured."

"Kharistahl. Captured? By you guys? I don't know what you've been smoking, but get me a double." This time it was Holly leading the laughter. The tension in the room cranked down a notch or two. Most of the demons went back to whatever they had been doing. While the Special Forces were bogged down in the crowd, Kurama gave Alanna quick instructions to get Mariko out of the room and settled in their suite.

"But why, Suichi?" She asked.

"For the same reason I gave before. These guys will try anything to get a hold of Kharistahl now and they most certainly are not above using innocent hostages to do it."

Alanna nodded and started to hustle Mariko out along one of the outer walls of the room while the Special Forces bullied their way through the middle. She was doing fine until a pair of demons, a little worse for the wear, stepped into her path.

The one in front eyed the girls with curiosity. "Look, Aho. Two cute little girls looking for us."

Alanna scanned him slowly from top to bottom and then back up. Slowly. Consideringly. Interestedly, even. She paused briefly. "I wasn't really, but now that I've seen you...I'm thinking about it. Just let me get my kid sister to our room and I'll be right back and we can talk. Meet me at the elevator in ten minutes."

Pleased with himself, the first demon smirked for a second at his friend as he stepped more fully into Alanna's path. The only warning he had that he had made a tactical error was the widening in his friend's eyes in alarm as he turned back directly into a hard right. He flew across the floor and everyone who saw the strike winced in sympathy.

Alanna looked over her shoulder in time to see Kurama glare at her in warning. She ducked back into the crowd and got out of the room and back to her quarters without further incident. She considered going down for the rendezvous she had suggested, but decided that, cute as he was, even if he showed, it wouldn't be for something they would both enjoy.

"Who was that?" the leader of the Special Forces asked, noticing when Kurama's glare met Alanna's guilty grin and shrug.

"Alanna. Koenma met her at the wedding a couple of years ago. Turns out she's Mazoku from the same bloodline as Yusuke Urameshi. Genetically, she's his sister. She grew up with Suichi Minamino. She's my best friend."

"Yeah," Slurred Leona. "She's also Holly and my Stepmother and the mother of our next set of half-siblings."

Holly, Kurama and Hiei all turned toward the drunken demoness and glared. "What?!? It's true. My Daddy told me."

The leader of the Special Forces winced at the combined fury directed toward her. "Who's the shorter girl with her?" he asked.

"Her sister." Five voices answered at once.

Recognizing that the conversation was getting him nowhere, the leader changed the subject. "Anyway, Sirs. Kurama and Hiei. As I told you. Lord Koenma has sent his condolences. He also sent me to you with a message. You are to return to your home in the Human World and take all those you wish with you. He will be sealing the Kakai Barrier once again to seal this world off from the human world with no holes this time. This will occur in two days and after that no one, not even Kuwabara and Urameshi will be crossing back and forth. At least not for the next few decades."

"And if we choose not to go now?"

"Then your children will grow up in the Temple of the Psychic Genkai as orphans. There will be no other crossings from Makai to the Human World and nearly none to Spirit World. So Lord Koenma has said." The leader looked down as he finished this statement. It was not a message to deliver to vengeance-driven demons.

"And what will be done about the murders in our families? Will we not get retribution for them?" Hiei snarled the question. "My wife was full human and was murdered by demons. The penalty for anyone involved in such a crime by inter-world law, is death for all who committed the crime and death for those behind them who planned and incited them to it."

"Yes," Kurama continued. "We came to investigate a rumor that Kharistahl was behind the attack. Her absence is being taken as a sign of guilt. Some of us are waiting until she returns, as we are sure she will sooner or later."

"His Lordship is aware of that, however, he has ordered my hand to retain possession of this castle and there are another five searching the depths of Makai to find Kharistahl and bring her to answer to these charges. We are backed up and have support teams from the current leader of Makai helping. She will not be able to hide long."

Kurama considered the possibility of Kharistahl's capture to be unlikely, but if the Kakai Barrier was reinforced and rebuilt, she would have less chance of escape in Makai. Even if she could not be captured, she would be on the run and unable to stir up more mischief for some time. In the meanwhile, He would plan carefully exactly how to deal with her once he got his hands on her. And eventually, he would.

He signaled to Hiei and their immediate compatriots and they went to their rooms to discuss the news. Alanna was waiting and decided that, if it was a choice between sitting there for who knows how long and then not being able to go home or just going home and knowing that at least the enemy would not be able to follow, she'd opt for home. And Mariko, Suichi and Hiei were going, too. She announced this and that she and Mariko were going to get packed and promptly left the room, telling Hiei and Kurama to be ready to leave first thing in the morning.

"Well, I guess that settles that," Kurama grinned to the others. "Seriously, though, We should all plan to leave first thing in the morning. Holly, Jin, are you going to get the girls and return to Makai or stay in the Human world until the barrier weakens again? Possibly in another couple of centuries?"

"I don' know, but we hafta collect the little demons anyway, now don't we?" Jin returned the grin. "We can decide on the way. We'll leave with ye in the morning, just in case."

He turned to the other couple. "Leona, Shishi, how about you two?"

They looked at each other for a moment. "We'll go with you to the Human world with Holly and Jin to get their kids. Then we come back to Makai. Your Human world is way too weird for us to live there for any period of time. Makai is much simpler. You can never tell with humans, but here almost everybody is your enemy."

Hiei gave a small snort of laughter. The room fell silent. Everyone stared. Hiei shrugged. Everyone turned away and continued their conversations a pace or two further away from him. He grunted and announced that he was going to get on with his own packing and headed toward where he had stashed his loot from the venture. He summoned a servant and ordered all possible trunks be brought to the rooms.

Once the luggage pile reached the middle of the room, Hiei reminded everyone, "Remember. You can only take with you what you can carry." Then he left the luggage pile there and went to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

"I said only what you can carry," Hiei practically snarled when presented with four large trunks and innumerable smaller bags.

"Can it, Shorty." Alanna snarled back. "These are all that Mariko has in the entire world and it's ALL going with us."

"And how do you propose to transport this magnificence home from here?" They were practically nose to nose and both seemed to be shining. Hiei with apparent black flames and Alanna with a silvery aura. Hiei's question didn't even slow her down.

"In the wagon that is waiting downstairs right now for you to get out of my way so that the servants can load it." Alanna had backed Hiei slightly off to the side and she now waved the line of servants behind her in the direction of the luggage pile. They streamed into the room, collected everything and streamed out so quickly Hiei had no time for further objections. In mere moments the room was cleared.

"There now. Isn't that easier than toting all that stuff for us?" She asked as she breezed past, Mariko trailing her like a shadow. Hiei gritted his teeth, determined that this was not the end of the subject. Alanna waved as the elevator door closed behind them.

On the ground floor, arrangements were getting under way for at least half of the "guests" departures. Alanna and Mariko grabbed a quick breakfast and headed out to the now fully loaded wagon to wait for Kurama and Hiei. While they were waiting, one of the servants approached Mariko.

"Excuse me, Mariko-sama." he said looking around nervously to ensure they were not overheard. Alanna was over by the door, trying to hurry the others along. The servant pulled a small box out of a pocket and thrust it into Mariko's hand. "Your mother gave me this with specific instructions to give it to you if you were to leave the palace in the company of those you are going with. She said you were to wait until you got settled where ever it is that you are going before you open the box and be sure that you are alone when you put the contents on."

Before Mariko could ask any questions, the servant had faded back into the crowd. She shrugged, slid the box into a pocket and went back to examining the bustling crowd around her. When she was joined by the others of their traveling party, they set out at a slow and stately pace toward the portal back to the human world. Hiei was still muttering - to himself, since no one else was listening - about the piles of luggage on the wagon. Not only Mariko's, but Alanna, Holly and Jin had added to the heap.

The wagon did seem a fairly good idea until they got to the actual portal. It was simply too wide to fit through the cave on the far side, so the portal was opened and a "luggage brigade" was formed to remove the luggage from the wagon, pass it hand to hand through the portal and stack it on the far side. Outside of the cave. Once all the luggage had been passed through, Alanna pushed the button that the helpful servants in Kharistahl's castle had showed her and the wagon shrunk down to pocket size. Alanna picked it up, carried it through and reversed the process on the far side. Then it was reloaded - with less muttering, this time - and they started off again.

Leona and Shishi said their farewells on the Makai side of the border and did not continue on with the others. They weren't willing to take a chance on getting caught on the wrong side of the border when it slammed. Besides, they were going to make sure that anyone who wanted to switch sides knew that the gate was preparing to shut. Holly and Jin still had to collect their daughters and said farewell to their friends there.

So Kurama, Hiei, Alanna, Yusuke, Holly, Jin and Mariko headed to the ruined temple that constituted their base in the area. They left the wagon and their gear in a concealed spot and went from there to Genkai's temple to collect the assorted family members. They walked into a scene of utter Chaos.

As they approached the top of the stairs, Hiei, Kurama, Jin, Holly, Alanna, Mariko and Yusuke could hear the sound of an argument. As they got closer, they could hear individual voices and make out what they were saying.

"Come back, Kitty. Come back" Came the voice of a young girl.

"Ah dunt think so," was the reply of a slightly older girl's voice. "Ye little red-haired witches jest keep yer distance. Ah dunt want ta hafta hurt ye, but-GAAAA!!!!"

"Gotcha!" came a third voice, about the same age as the first.

"RRRRrrrr!!!" There were terrible noises of feline anger.

"OW!! Kira, get her. She hurt me!"

"AMBUSH!!" Was followed by the sounds of choking and struggling. As the party reached the level where they could see the ground, the first sight that met their eyes was a green ball of some kind of plants rolling around and making noises of feline distress. The next was a pair of identical red-haired girls, one of them holding a bloody arm glaring at the ball.

As they were taking in the implications of this tableau, one of the red-heads caught sight of them and nudged her sister. "DADDDDDDDY" split the air in two highpitched voices. The two flung themselves at Kurama as he reached the top of the stairs.

While they were distracted the ball finally shredded and a small red cat squirmed from it like a chick escaping an egg. "DA!" Was the only warning Jin had as the cat made a bee-line to him, climbed his pants and what little he wore for a shirt and took a shivering perch atop his head, just behind the tiny horn.

"Daddydaddydaddy-"

"The kitty hurt me-"

"-make it better."

"Oh, daddy, can we-"

"have a kitty?" The twins were babbling non-stop and interrupting each other to finish the statements the other one started. "Hi Uncle Hiei. Hi Aunt Alanna. Daddy can we have a kitty? Hi Uncle Yusuke. Hey, who's that new girl? Daddy can we pleeeaasssee have a kitty? A little red kitty? Just like that one? Maybe that one? Pleeaasse?"

The "kitty" in question had her front paws wrapped around Jin's horn and was muttering, "say no say no say no," over and over like a mantra. Holly laughed. In the meantime the commotion attracted the attention of the rest of the temple's inhabitants. There were a number of squeals as people realized that the prodigals had returned.

"Uncle Hiei!" warned him to turn just in time to catch the headlong rush of his niece, Botana. Genkai wrapped herself around Yusuke's legs just as Keiko flung herself into his chest. There was a narrowly averted disaster as he managed to twist so as not to fall back down the mile and a half of stone stairs behind him.

Alanna led Mariko around to the far side of the knot of reunited children and adults and up the steps to where Genkai the elder, Yukina and Kuwabara were waiting for things to sort themselves out. Alanna introduced Mariko to everyone as her sister and silently promised the elderly Genkai the full story later. They watched as the happy group of children and adults sorted themselves out and slowly moved to the temple.

Once the greetings were completed, everyone thanked Genkai for keeping an eye on the children for them. Then they took a while to relax a bit before packing up all their stuff and heading for their respective homes. Everyone took turns updating Genkai on the current situation in Makai before they left. Jin, Holly and their girls went home with Kurama, Hiei, Alanna, Mariko and the twins.

Faith decided she would stay at Genkai's for a while and then find a new place to live. She could hardly even bear to look at Hiei. He felt pretty much the same about her. They promised to keep in touch, but since each reminded the other of all they had both lost, that wasn't terribly likely.

Mariko and her luggage were installed in one guest room and Jin and Holly in the other. Jinny and Fyrra, Holly's daughters, were bunking with Kira and Kara. Kurama, Hiei and Alanna shared Kurama's room. Things were a little crowded, but since they were all missing the lost members of the families, it was comforting as well.

Jin and family were going to head back to Makai the next day when Genkai sent word that the Kakai Barrier had closed and they were stuck in the Human World. Instead, Kurama took some of the booty from Kharistahl's castle and exchanged it for cash so that they had something to get a house of their own and live on and they settled in just a few doors away.

Once Jin and Holly moved to their own house, things settled into a sort of a pattern. The guest room they had used became Hiei's. He was fairly withdrawn and quiet, but no one commented. Alanna moved in full time and shared Kurama's room. She watched Mariko like a hen with one chick. She'd never had a baby sister and besides, Mariko was so sweet and naïve, she needed a full time guardian. Besides, all joking aside, she had loved Kiki like a sister. The girls all started school as scheduled, minus one.

And life went on.


	12. Chapter 12

One second, she was asleep, the next wide awake with her heart pounding. She reached over and shook the warm shoulder next to her. "Suichi, something is wrong."

"Not again, Alanna. It's just the babies. Go get a snack and you will feel better." He rolled away in dismissal and returned to sleep. There was no point in poking Shorty. He'd just grunt and roll over, too. She squirmed off the foot of the bed so she could get out without crawling over one of them. If it weren't so cozy, she might think of telling Hiei to sleep in his own bed. Besides, he needed all the comfort he could get these days. Tossing her robe on, she headed for the kitchen.

As she stumbled down the stairs, she actually stopped for a second. Hiei never showed a shred of emotion, but she could tell he was dying inside. Missy had been his first real love. However it had happened, he had become emotionally more vulnerable at that moment. He did not have the control over his emotions he once thought he did. And then there was Mercy. A terror to her playmates, but happy and friendly, even when she accidentally caught a mean thought. And her joy in life made every moment Hiei had spent in her presence inexplicably happy. And now they were gone. Both of them. Forever.

Alanna sniffed as she opened up the refrigerator and started shuffling through the contents. What she wouldn't give for a huge hot fudge sundae about now. That, however was completely normal. She had sworn off chocolate when Jin and Holly announced they were going to be parents again, thanks to her cookie. They looked so normal and human that sometimes she thought the whole excursion was an acid-produced nightmare. Alanna put a hand to her abdomen where she had recently been feeling small flutterings. There was no way to deny that she was indeed definitely pregnant. Possibly (probably) (definitely) (shut up) with at least 2 babies that were going to be as different from other children as the rest of the children born to her friends. (And Family.) (Yes.) (Grrrrrrr.)

She finally settled for a yogurt and a banana and headed back up the stairs. As her head cleared the level of the floor, she automatically scanned the floor to determine if there were any possible impediments on the path to her room. She stopped when she came to the flickering red light under Mariko's door. Thinking there was a fire, she called out something unintelligible and raced the rest of the way up the stairs and into Mariko's room.

At least that was the plan. She put her hand on the door to test the temperature and suddenly found herself stuck to it like flypaper. She tried to call out only to find her voice gone. "Look," a scornful voice said. "It is that trumped up Mazoku who dares consider herself the equal of my offspring and considers you her sister."

"But Mother, you have always told me that I am born of Raisen of the Mazoku. Since she has assumed her demon form, genetically, she is also a direct descendant, a daughter, of Raisen. Therefore she is indeed my sister as Yusuke is my brother. Isn't that wonderful?

"No, you little idiot. If Urameshi had not returned as Mazoku, your brother would have been heir to Raisen's throne. Why did you think I have tolerated you for all these years?"

"But Mother, you said –"

"Sorry, sweetness," the sinister and sarcastic sneer in the voice made Alanna's skin crawl. "Mommies sometimes say things they do not really mean. But now, Mommy will tell you three truths.

"First: Truly evil people cannot love anyone. Not even their own offspring. Also they absolutely hate any truly good person. A truly evil person might convince a truly good person that they liked them, loved them even, but it would all be lies.

"Second: Truly good people never know enough to see that anyone around them is truly evil, because their goodness blinds them.

"Third: The only reason truly evil people keep truly good people around is because they may someday be of use. And today is your day, Mariko."

"But Mother, I don't understand."

"You are in the perfect position to be used as a weapon against Kurama, Hiei and Urameshi."

"I don't want to be a weapon. They have been very nice to me. And Yusuke is too my brother and Alanna is my sister, so let her go!"

Alanna suddenly found herself free of the door and lying on the floor. She scrambled into the bedroom and pounced on Kurama. "Suichi, there's something wrong with Mariko! I think somebody is in there! Mariko called her 'Mother' and said she didn't want to be used as a weapon against you, Shorty and Yusuke!"

Kurama started to mutter something and then stopped. "'Mother?'"

Both he and Hiei tensed. Alanna nodded. The two were out of bed and dressed almost before she finished her nod. She followed them down the hall to Mariko's room. When Kurama started to reach a hand toward the door, she hissed at him. Quietly, she told them of her experience. In fact, she didn't say a word out loud, just sort of thought it at them. Weird. But she didn't have time to consider it. Hiei had stepped back and pulled of that headband he always wore. Funny that the sight of that third eye didn't bother her so much any more. Actually, it was kinda cute. Maybe one of the kids would have one. She felt a flutter that somehow confirmed the thought. That could be cool.

Somehow her attention snapped back to the moment at hand and she realized that her attention had been diverted for a second or two at most. All three of Hiei's eyes were wide and staring. He looked frozen. Alanna reached out a hand to him, but stopped just short. He seemed to be wrapped in a glowing red aura that was expanding and moving over other lines in the air and heading for Suichi and herself.

Alanna reacted without thinking. Her hand took up a blue glow and she sliced through the connections, severing them so that the red aura had no route to her. Then she passed around the red glow and did the same thing on Suichi's side. She then cut the line of red tying Hiei to the door. As the red faded, his eyes regained focus for a second and then rolled into the back of his head as he folded to the floor like a wet rag. He managed to whisper one word before his collapse. "Kharistahl."

Kurama and Alanna got him back to the bedroom and into bed. Kurama was going to start calling people, when they heard Mariko's door open. The red glow poured out into the hallway, steadier now. Alanna and Kurama looked at each other, shrugged, and started down the hallway, slowly. Kurama stopped a few steps away and waved Alanna back to the bedroom. Alanna glared and shook her head. He gestured at her abdomen. She gestured back, obscenely. He put his hand to his head in exasperation. She smiled and thought "Just go. I'm not staying back."

Kurama stared at her for a second and then blinked. Twice. Alanna, using telepathy? She gave him a shove toward the door. He almost chuckled, but swallowed it. Either she wasn't aware of it, or she was accepting more odd things as time went by. Or maybe both. He stopped at the edge of the door frame, just out of sight of whoever was in the room and the strange red light. He heard what sounded like a grunt of impatience behind him Before he could do or say anything, both he and Alanna were complete cloaked in a shining blue-white shield. Alanna stepped around him and into the doorway.

The red glow seemed to intensify around the blue, but none passed through. Kurama stepped up beside and a shade behind her. What he saw horrified him. It seemed the source of the glow was young Mariko herself. She hovered a few inches off the floor, radiating blood-red light. And it wasn't just light. There was enough pure S-level demon essence there to cause most demons and humans to fall down and worship her. Kurama was aware of this, but unaffected by it. Alanna's shield was exceptionally effective.

"Just what is going on here?" Alanna snarled at the room at large, trying to locate her foe. "Mariko, where is the woman you were talking to a few minutes ago? And where did you get that red dress? I told you red isn't a good color for you."

"Silence, wench! I would speak to my new consort. Kurama, what say you?"

Alanna gathered herself for an attack, but was held back by Kurama's hand wrapped around her belt. He whispered in her mind "trust me," as he passed her. Once he was in front of her, shield still intact, he replied, "I say I prefer to know with whom I am dealing, no matter how familiar the face. I ask for the name of the one who claims me as if I were a piece of meat and she a bitch with young. Or perhaps just a bitch in heat."

Everyone else in the room froze in horror at the depth of the insult. Alanna cringed and the shield glowed brighter just before a huge bolt of red energy bounced off it. Kurama stood exactly still and never flinched, feet slightly spread and arms crossed over his chest. The expression on his face conveyed nothing but derision and disgust. The room grew silent again, and it was not until the figure of Mariko convulsed for an instant with an odd snorting sound that anyone moved. Kurama and Alanna looked at each other and started slowly toward her just as she was wracked by another round of the strange convulsions.

They approached slowly as Mariko slid to the floor, apparently unable to breathe. The grimace of pain was horrific. Her face was drawn up into a parody of suppressed humor. No, wait, that was real suppressed humor. Once again, the shield tightened and intensified. Nothing was getting through except good, clean air. The woman on the floor seemed to find that even more hysterical and gave up on trying to stifle the laughs. It was some time before she was able to breathe freely, never mind speak. "Youko, I don't know where you keep finding them, but this one is worse than the last one. In fact she's a lot like that Urameshi pest."

"She should be, she's Raisen's get, too."

"Another one? That is just unfair."

"Lots of things are unfair. You still have not named yourself. I know that you are not Mariko, though you are in her body."

"Don't be silly. You know who I am. You will do my bidding or suffer the consequences. From this day forth." She laughed again, though this time in apparent triumph as he said nothing and did not move or change his stance, Trusting to Alanna's shields was hard, but she seemed to be encircling Mariko in a spherical shield separate from his shield. He gave it a few seconds to be completed, except for a small gap that allowed the alien connection to be maintained. As he watched, Alanna started to bring a glowing hand toward the connection. He stopped her, literally with a thought.

"I do not recognize you in this form, spirit. I ask you a third time to name yourself or be gone." His grin was nearly predatory. "I no longer am a mercenary and available for a fee. I am no one's plaything. This is the third asking. You must answer or leave this child."

"Hmph! You are such a spoilsport. And here I was hoping to have a bit of fun with you before we got down to business. Fine. You want me to name myself. I am Kharistahl, Queen of the Nightmare Realm. And if you want to keep Mariko and your little demonlings intact, you are indeed my plaything." Smirking, she continued to ignore Alanna.

"I think not," he replied, still having Alanna hold the shield just short of a complete sphere. "Once the Spirit World Special Forces get a hold of you, you will not be able to threaten anyone."

"Ha! Those fools. They still think that when they sealed Makai they had me trapped there. As if I would stay where others expect me to be when I know an attack is coming."

"So you took your offspring and your favorite minions and journeyed from Makai to the human world before the Kakai Barrier was reinforced." It was a statement, rather than a question.

"Very good. I also have a few of my favorite hostages with me as well."

"You do realize that we are not going to let you get away with whatever you have planned. We will notify the Spirit World Special Forces, as well as this world's Spirit Detectives and you will be hunted down and destroyed." Kurama's face hardened. "You will pay for your evil, if it is the last thing I do."

"Careful. One might think you were going to go off without a plan and get yourself, and possibly others you like, killed." She laughed derisively. "Attack me, even if you can find me, and I will infest the dreams of your entire extended family and tear their minds to shreds.

"Keep Mariko. I have no use for the little twit. She wouldn't know evil if it came up and bit her. I will, however keep this little leash and stop in for a visit every now and then." The sound of evil laughter filled the room and then faded with the red glow until both were gone. Alanna's shields dropped and she stood staring at Mariko where she lay unconscious, sprawled on the floor, in horror. Kurama picked Mariko up and tucked her back into her bed. Then he led a dazed Alanna back to their room and tucked her in beside Hiei. Then he went down to the kitchen and started thinking while he made breakfast.

By the time the twins got up for school, Kurama had a fancy breakfast ready and waiting. Waffles cut into exotic shapes and served with whipped cream and syrup. Cheese omelets folded like origami. Fresh squeezed juice and intricately cut melons and berries. They each had a bag lunch waiting, filled with their favorite lunch foods.

When the girls asked where Alanna, Hiei and Mariko were, Kurama told the girls that they were still sleeping. Which was true enough. He had no idea what he would be facing as they descended the stairs. So, he had prepared a lavish breakfast and called all of them in sick at work. Once the twins were off to school, he sat down, teacup in hand, and waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.


	13. Chapter 13

Finally, about 9:30, he heard Alanna stir. Actually, he heard her shriek, "Get up Shorty! We overslept!" This was followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor on Hiei's side of the bed. Obviously shoved from the bed. Kurama cringed in sympathy. Next he heard bare feet tearing down the hall and headed down the stairs at a run. Alanna skidded to a stop just short of the counter where her coffee cup, prepared just as she liked it, was waiting.

Alanna half drained the cup in one gulp, then asked, "Why didn't you wake me? You _know_ I have practice today."

Kurama considered his answer carefully. "After that excitement last night, I thought you needed the sleep. I already called you in sick."

Alanna looked at him in confusion. "Since when does a silly nightmare constitute excitement and merit a day off of work?"

Kurama was saved from trying to find an answer to that by Hiei's arrival. While Alanna looked no different than usual, Hiei was paler than usual - if such a thing was possible - and looked exhausted. Some of that, of course could be attributed to the large bruise rapidly forming on the side of his head, courtesy of that area reaching the floor before the rest of his body. Kurama handed him his coffee and asked telepathically how he felt. Hiei's response was a wince and grimace of pain.

"What crawled up your-"

"Whatever clever comment you were on the verge of delivering, save it for later. After whatever I experienced last night, I need some time to recover." The snarl with which this was delivered caused Alanna to step back a step.

"Suichi, I don't know what got into him, but if something bad happened last night, I would like to know about it." Both Hiei and Kurama stared at her for a second. Then they looked at each other. Then they looked at Alanna. "What?" she asked.

"Alanna, what do you remember from last night?"

"What's to remember? We had dinner, put the kids to bed, sat around for a while and went to bed. Same as always."

"After that."

"What? I had a bad feeling, went to get a snack, went back to bed and had a nightmare. Or maybe I dreamt I went down for a snack and it turned into a nightmare, I'm not sure. It was all just too weird. Why? Was it one of those weird-" Alanna held up both hands before her chest, palms outward and fingers bent and unfolded and folded the index and middle finger of each hand "-demon thingies?"

Alanna was chuckling as she left the kitchen to get dressed. She was still laughing when she left the house, fully dressed, for work. She would explain about Suichi being a worry wart and the members of her band would all tease her about how sweet it was that he was concerned.

"There goes the most determinedly oblivious person I have ever met," Hiei muttered into his coffee cup. Kurama looked at him. "She has managed to reduce anything she saw or heard last night to the level of a bad dream and dismissed it entirely."

"Yes," Kurama replied, absently munching on some fruit, "but I would be interested in finding out where she learned to do what she did last night."

"What did she do?" Kurama gave Hiei a very fast mental synopsis of the events after Hiei lost consciousness, including the fact that Alanna was the one to release Hiei from whatever had caught him. And then had provided Kurama with one of the sweetest shields he had ever seen. "Hn. She doesn't remember any of that. She blocked it all out of her memory. Wish I knew how she did that."

"It seems to be an automatic reaction. And she's had it as long as I can remember. Alanna has never believed in anything and forgets anything that might convince her otherwise." Kurama's thoughtful comment ended the discussion for the time being.

Hiei and Kurama, however, were actually more concerned with the occupant of the last bedroom. Both were worried that Kharistahl might have remained in Mariko's body. Or that she might return. They needed to know how she had done it in order to undo it. Before she did it again.

When Mariko came down a short while later, she was once again attired in her normal blue and silver. The only thing different was a gold necklace with an irregularly shaped red stone hanging from it. She greeted Kurama and Hiei in her normal cheerful manner and then dove into the breakfast, trying a little bit of everything as usual. She had yet to satisfy her curiosity about the human world, but she was trying to taste her way through it. She praised everything and went on to devour more. For such a little girl, she had a huge appetite.

Once Mariko finished her breakfast, she went back upstairs and started cleaning up her room and the twins' room, just like she did every day. Hiei and Kurama exchanged a look as she left the room, but waited until she was upstairs before they said anything.

"That was nearly as creepy as Alanna." Hiei shuddered. "She wasn't thinking anything out of the ordinary either. As if nothing happened."

"But you saw the necklace."

"Oh yes, I saw the necklace. Like a noose of demon energy around her throat, and probably just as deadly."

"So, how do we get it off? From what I saw the only way that is coming off is if Mariko takes it off."

"Yeah, that's what it looked like to me, too."

"Do you think we can talk her into taking it off?"

"Hn. Feel free to try." Hiei shrugged. "I'd be more interested in knowing where she got the thing. If Kharistahl has minions around we need to know so we can protect the children. I'll go scout the area. You see if you can talk to Mariko. I suppose you might get lucky."

Hiei slipped out the back door and vanished into the surrounding neighborhood. His first stop was Holly's to let her know what was going on. In the meantime, Kurama went upstairs to talk to Mariko. He found her in the twins' room, making one of the beds. He started on the other.

"Did you sleep all right? It was a little noisy up here."

"Really? I didn't hear a thing." Mariko finished up the bed she was working on and started collecting the clothing strewn across the room. "Once I went to bed I slept like a log until this morning. I can't imagine why I slept so late."

"We were all pretty tired. It's been a busy few months since we all came back from Makai." Kurama closed the drawers of the dresser and picked up the last sock. They went to the laundry room and put the clothes in the hamper. "You have been busy learning all sorts of things. Do you ever miss Makai?"

"Not really. I sometimes miss my mother and brother, but there wasn't all that much else to miss."

"I couldn't help but notice that necklace you are wearing. It almost looks like your mother's crystal. You know, the one she uses to do her magic."

"Uh-huh. It's a little piece of it. All of us have one. It lets us stay in touch when we are apart. Mommy had one of the servants give me mine when we left Makai."

"So you've had it all this time?" Relief flooded him as he passed the news on to Hiei. Hiei's response was skeptical and he continued searching the area for signs of Kharistahl's minions. "Why haven't you worn it before?"

"Oh, Mommy thought you would try to take it away and smash it, so she had me hide it and only put it on when I was alone."

"And why have you stopped hiding it now?"

"Well, last night, before I went to sleep, Mommy said I should wear it all the time and never ever take it off. She said that if I take it off, it will break and I will not get to talk to her again, so I promised not to."

"I thought you were practicing being evil by being disobedient to your mother."

"Yes, and she said that you were right and that was a very evil thing to do, but I wasn't doing it very well, so I should try another way of being evil."

"Well, I suppose you know that breaking promises is another way of being evil." Mariko gasped and grabbed the crystal at the end of the chain with her right hand.

"Really? But Mommy said-"

"Didn't she also say you were not doing a good job of disobeying her? Maybe you need some more practice. Maybe you need to try breaking a promise and disobeying your mother at the same time." Kurama grinned encouragingly. "C'mon, Mariko. Take off the necklace. See if it feels fun to be really evil."

Mariko thought about it for a few minutes. Kurama could practically hear the gears in her head turning and smelled the smoke. Her hands raised the chain to chin level. "But Suichi, Mommy said you would want to smash my crystal. You won't, will you?"

"Not if you don't want me to. It's your necklace, Mariko. I would like to examine it." Kurama smiled again. "I just want to see you be evil."

"Really?" She dropped the necklace and grabbed Kurama's shoulders. "That is soooooo sweet, Su-iiii-chi."

"Mariko?" Kurama was thinking furiously as the woman pushed his back up against the wall. She was a lot stronger than she looked.

"Not quite, sweety, but we're related." Kurama was given no further opportunity to object as she leaned in, pinning him to the wall with her body and sealed his mouth with her own. Grinding her pelvis into his, she tried to shove her tongue down his throat. One hand released his shoulder and slowly slid down his body, gently caressing all the right spots to create the effect she was looking for when she got to his belt line. Finding it, she made a sound suspiciously like a purr and finished the kiss. Sliding her mouth to his neck as he tried to collect himself and whispered in his ear, "Long time no see, Youko-kun."

"Release me," he gasped as he tried to escape the marauding hands. She ignored his struggles and continued to concentrate her efforts on the body parts that were responding the way she wanted them to. The phone began to ring and she ignored it. Kurama flung out a hand and managed to grab the receiver. His attacker kissed him again before he could speak. Alanna's voice came from the receiver.

"Suichi? Mariko? Is anybody there?"

A muffled "Mmmmrrrrffff!" was all Kurama could get out as he was dragged down the hall. As they passed the base for the phone, the woman took it away from Kurama and hung it up. "Come on, Suichi. You know you want this as much as I do. Well, maybe not quite as much, but it'll still be fun for both of us if you just relax and enjoy it."

By the time Kurama had caught enough breath to be aware of his surroundings again, he was just passing through the doorway of his room. Before he could resist, he found himself flying through the air and landing on the bed with a bounce that knocked the breath from him yet again. This time when the phone rang, he managed to grab it and speak before she had him pinned.

"Alanna-I-Hiei? Help!"

"Tell them to call back later," she murmured as she slid her tongue up his neck and nibbled on his earlobe while her hands resumed their earlier wandering. "Or if it's Hiei, tell him to hurry home. Three's never a crowd for me. And I have chocolate."

The phone dropped to the floor and lay there. The other end was hung up and seconds later came the sound of the front door banging open and Hiei calling Kurama's name. Kurama was nearly insensible by that time, but he managed to rouse himself enough to call out.

Footsteps came pounding up the stairs. Lots of them. Kurama relaxed, thinking he was saved and the woman knotted the sheets around him, rendering him helpless. Too late, he tried to free himself. Failing, he tried to call out again only to find his mouth gagged as well. He was rolled to the side of the bed and pinned as she perched herself atop him. The door flew open as Hiei, Jin and Holly dashed into the room. They stopped short at the sight of the couple on the bed.

"Hiei, I see you've brought more playmates. Good boy." She smirked at him. "It's so nice to see you again, Pet."

"'Pet,' Uncle Hiei?" Holly turned a pale shade of green. "You were Mariko's pet? Eeewwwwww."

"'Uncle Hiei?' Odd, you don't look young enough to be that idiot Kuwabara and Yukina's daughter."

"I'm not. I am Hollyana Kurama and that is my father you're sitting on and I'd appreciate it if you got off of him. I'm sure he would, too."

"And I am not Mariko, you twit. I am Cheiko, Princess of the Nightmare Realm and heir to Kharistahl Queen of Nightmares and Torment. And yes, your 'Uncle Hiei' spent some time in the honored position of my pet. I still have his collar." She laughed evilly. Hiei finally recovered from the surprise of hearing the hated nickname from Mariko and his expression became even more stonelike than it had been, if that was possible.

"And I suppose that you being able to take over my friend's body should impress me? Please. Why don't you just go back to whatever hole you and your mother are hiding in and stop bothering real people. It won't be long before you are found and captured and then you will have to pay for all the evil you have done." Holly's voice dripped with scorn. Cheiko hissed at her, cat-like.

"Perhaps, but not before you and your family have paid for the humiliation heaped on my mother." She slapped Kurama's buttocks. "This one first, and the rest of you as we get to you. And don't worry, Pet. We haven't forgotten you. Your day will come as well."

"Hn. You can't just waltz in here and take over your sister's body and our lives all in one move. We may not have been able to stop your mother last night, but you aren't her."

"True enough," Cheiko purred, making a show of examining Mariko's nails. "I just stopped by to play for a few minutes, but if you aren't going to play with me, I may as well go back. I should warn you though, Pet. We can do this any time we want." Cheiko laughed evilly again and then fell backward onto the bed.

Hiei, Holly and Jin dove onto the bed. Holly and Jin pulled Kurama off the bed and released him from his wrappings while Hiei pounced on the other occupant of the bed and pinned her down. "Hiei, what are you doing?" she asked in a confused voice.

"Mariko?"

"Hiei, what's wrong with you? And what am I doing in your room?" She looked around herself in confusion. She looked at the others in the room. "Jin? Holly? Suichi? What is going on?"

Kurama took a step back toward the bed as Hiei levered himself off the pinned girl. "Are you all right, Mariko?" he asked. He and Hiei helped her to her feet. "How do you feel?"

Mariko sat on the edge of the bed and thought for a minute. "A little odd, but mostly OK, I guess. Please tell me what is happening."

"Well-"

Kurama's explanation was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming open and Alanna screaming "Suichi, what the hell is going on here?"

"Uh oh," Holly muttered as she edged toward the door, dragging Jin with her. "That sounds like our cue to-" Her comment was cut off as the door flew open and slammed into her back, crunching into her wings. Her exclamation of pain was ignored as Alanna barreled into the room.

"What the hell are you doing up here with my Suichi and Mariko, you little perv?" She snarled at Hiei. Then she swung back to Jin and Holly. "And what are you two doing here? Getting pointers?"

Jin turned pale and Holly blushed bright scarlet. "I'll have ye know that I dun't need pointers from Hiei or anyone else, ye overgrown wench. We do jest fine on our own. Besides, yer Suichi is her faither. How twisted de ye think we are?" Jin's accent was stronger when he was incensed and it took Alanna a second to process the snarled comment. By then, Holly had managed to drag him out the door and down the hall toward the exit and safety.

Alanna growled and spun back toward Hiei and Kurama. Mariko was practically huddled behind the two in terror. Alanna looked from the angry faces of the guys to the terrified midnight blue eyes peering at her from behind them and her anger evaporated in confusion. Obviously something was going on that she knew nothing about. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Mariko.

"Back off, Alanna," Hiei snarled. "This is NOT whatever you think it is and we have more serious issues at this time than your stupid conclusions."

"Sorry, but yes, as blunt and tactless as Hiei's statement is, he is basically accurate." Kurama added, reaching out to Alanna. "Mariko has been possessed and while the evil spirit was driven out, it will probably come back if we don't find a way to prevent it."

"Suichi, are you talking about my mother?" Mariko asked quietly, her face pressed into his back.

"No, your sister, Cheiko came and tried to force me to...do something we would all regret."

"Oh." She thought for a moment. "But if Mommy let her use the big crystal to come here..."

"She may have done it on her own without your mother's knowledge." Mariko nodded doubtfully, but didn't argue with the assessment. Alanna looked at the three in confusion.

"I thought I was her sister."

"Half sister on her father's side," Kurama explained. "Cheiko is her half sister on her mother's side."

"Yes, and she is very old and very mean." Mariko added. "But how do we make her stay away?"

Kurama sighed and looked around at the three faces watching him expectantly. Every one of them seemed hopeful that he would have a brilliant strategy for the situation. Mariko had her hand wrapped around her necklace as if afraid someone would steal it. He looked back, thinking furiously for a few minutes. Then he nodded.

"OK, we need to find a way for Mariko to be able to stay in touch with her mother without her sister being able to drop in and take over her body, right?" Mariko nodded eagerly, Hiei looked doubtful and Alanna was just confused. "Mariko's necklace is the key. She has to be wearing it to contact her mother. If she takes it off, her sister can't come through."

"But then I can't reach Mommy," Mariko protested.

"I'm getting to that," Kurama said. "First of all, we need to find out if your mother knows what Cheiko is doing. If she doesn't, she can stop it and there is no problem, right?" Mariko again nodded and Hiei started to object. Kurama silenced him with a look.

Mariko thought a moment and then said reflectively, "Mommy might know. She doesn't like you very much. She said she wanted me to work against you. She might have let Cheiko try to do what she did."

"That's true, and if that is the case you will need to take the necklace off so that she doesn't do it again, right? You don't want her to do something mean to the twins or Alanna, do you?" Mariko shook her head reluctantly. "Hiei and I can take care of ourselves if we need to. It just helps to know who we're dealing with. And we wouldn't want to have you get hurt either."

"OK."

"What if Mariko's mother is behind these attacks?" Alanna asked.

"Then I will take off the necklace and not talk to her any more," Mariko sighed. "I don't want anyone doing mean things to you or the twins or Suichi or Hiei or your babies." Her eyes filled with tears and she sniffed. Alanna pulled her close and gave her a hug.

"Don't worry, Mariko. We won't let it come to that," Kurama assured her. "We will just have to arrange for everyone else's safety while you talk to her."

"Hn. And how do you propose to do that?"

"Before we get into that, let's find out if it is even necessary." Hiei grunted again and went and sat down. "Mariko, you need to hold your necklace and think about contacting your mother. Think really hard and you should be able to reach her and then we can all talk to her and explain what is going on."

Mariko nodded and closed her eyes. Her face scrunched up in concentration for a few seconds and then seemed to clear.


	14. Chapter 14

Her eyes opened. "Offices of Kharistahl," a male voice chirped, "Please hold."

The voice was deeper than Mariko's, but there were still similarities. The expression definitely was not Mariko's, either. Especially as she caught sight of Alanna.

"Ooh, hellos." she looked over at Kurama and Hiei. "Hi guys." the voice said flatly and without interest. The person then cartwheeled through the length of the room, without any thought for Mariko's skirt and the view caused by the garment, and then back to Alanna. Sitting on the floor, the person grinned.

"Never realized how short she was. Ah, well, I got a nice view." The person was looking up Alanna's skirt.

Alanna pulled back her hand.

"Oh, come on. Do you really want to slap poor Mariko just because I happen to like the view?" He asked with wide, almost innocent eyes. Alanna muttered something that sounded obscene and let her hand drop to her side again.

"Wow, didn't really think that would work. Cool, gotta put that one in the book." The person in Mariko's body, obviously male, grinned and hopped up to cartwheel across the room again before landing with a bounce on the bed. The cartwheeling and bouncing were accompanied by a loud and slightly shrill, "wheeeeeeeeee!"

Kurama looked at Hiei. "I think it is safe to assume that whoever we have now, that is NOT Kharistahl."

"Hn. Not Cheiko, either."

"Oooh you figured me out. Now I hafta kill you." He laughed maniacally. Then, he looked thoughtful a moment before he pouted. "I don't wanna kill you." He leered at Alanna before his gaze turned to the two boys. "Maybe I'll just kill you two. I'll keep her for myself." He grinned a little wider, standing up on the bed and jumping up and down on it. Again, with the shrill, "Wheeeeeeeeee!"

"Before we get to the killing, tell us, just who are you?"

"Nuh uh. Gotta guess." He kept jumping on the bed, repeating in a high-pitched sing song, "You've gotta guess. You've gotta guess."

"No, you have to tell me or leave that girl's body." Kurama glared in disapproval with his arms folded over his chest. The figure on the bed collapsed into a heap.

"You're just no fun at all. I don't know what Mom sees in you. Except maybe the cute butt. And I would have to agree. It is very cute. But I like her boobs better." Nodding toward Alanna. Alanna turned a brilliant shade of red while Hiei made a show of looking from the aforementioned body parts and then shrugged.

"For the third time, name yourself or leave that body." Kurama repeated, ignoring the comments.

"Oh fine, Spoilsport. But don't say I didn't give you a chance. I am Akira, God of Lies, Prince of the Nightmare Realm, Only Son of Kharistahl and the Lord of the Mazoku, Raisen."

"Oh. My. God. You're my other brother?"

"Maybe. Who are you, cutie?"

"A, Call me that again and you'll be missing teeth. And B, Eeewwwww, you perv." Alanna snarled. "My name is Alanna and everybody keeps telling me I'm one of those Mazo-thingies and that that Raisen guy is my genetic father."

"Ha! So you are one of the Mazoku. On your knees before your master, wench." Both Hiei and Kurama cringed at the thought of Alanna's response to that statement. But she surprised them.

"Hrmph. Very impressive coming from my shrimp of a little sister that I could squash like a fly. Besides, what would be the point of that? You don't have anything worth my knees on you at the moment." Alanna smiled nastily. "Maybe some other time when you are the right gender, it you're worth it. So far, I'm not impressed."

"Everything else aside, Akira,-" Kurama started.

"Yes. Yes. I know. You wanted to talk to Mommy Dearest about Cheiko's nasty little visit. Although I don't see that anybody got hurt, so you can't bitch too bad. However, Mom's a little busy right now and can't come play. Sorry. Wait. I lied, no I'm not. Wheeeeee!" He started bouncing on the bed again. "Body swapping is fun!"

"Hn. He's making even less sense than Cheiko."

"So what! Making sense is for people with no sense of humor and no artistic abilities. Mwahahahaha!" He froze for a moment. "Oopsie! And now back to your regularly scheduled programming. Mother!" The final word was more of a high-pitched squeak.

Mariko's body stiffened and then fell forward toward the edge of the bed and the floor. Hiei was just a blur as he sped forward and caught her, laying her back on the bed. "Thank you, Hiei. I would have disliked arriving on the floor. After all, you are supposed to be on the floor, groveling at my feet, not the other way around."

Hiei stepped back quickly. "Kharistahl!" He hissed.

"Yes, and it's nice to see you boys looking so fit." She sat up and slid to the edge of the bed, ignoring Alanna entirely. "Now, you wanted to speak with me?"

Hiei took another step back, his face a study in revulsion. Kurama didn't move or change expression noticeably. Alanna wove on her feet for a minute and then her expression sharpened and there was a very fine sheen of silvery white energy surrounding her. A second later, two thin threads of silver reached out to Hiei and Kurama and then they were surrounded by the silvery glow as well. Hiei jumped a little.

Kharistahl looked from one to the other with a sneer. "Do you boys really think that something as pathetic as that is going to keep me out? You can't keep it up forever." Kurama refrained from mentioning the silver glow that was slowly encasing Mariko's body, but he did send a quick thought in Alanna's direction to leave the connection with Kharistahl open until they could find a way to free her completely. He received an incoherent mutter of agreement.

"Kharistahl, we asked you to come here because-"

"Yes. Yes, I know. Cheiko came to visit and gave you a nasty scare. Get over it already. There are much worse things coming if you don't start paying attention and doing as you are told."

"Hn. Like that's going to happen."

"Actually, Hiei, it is. Or you will not like the consequences."

"There isn't a lot more you can do to me, bitch!" He snarled. "Just let me meet you face to face and we can put an end to all this stupidity. I'll kill you and your evil offspring and smash your crystal and grind the fragments into dust and-"

"Hiei, I think she has gotten your point." Kurama said calmly.

"Not yet she hasn't. I don't see it sticking out from between her ribs."

"Amusing as this little by-play is," Kharistahl drawled, "I think we need to remind you boys who is in charge around here."

"That would be me," Alanna said. All three occupants of the room looked at her in shock. She looked at Hiei and Kurama, "It's true. You two would be playing by HER rules if it weren't for me. And as for you," she said turning toward Kharistahl, "You can just quit giving the boys a hard time. The only reason you are here at all is because Mariko is a sweet, trusting idiot who thinks you are a caring mother. The rest of us know better. So you can forget about using her to do your dirty work. It's not going to happen."

"Realllyy? And just who will prevent me? You? Ha! You wouldn't know how to stop a flea. Most of the time you are so deliberately blind that I could walk in here and take your entire little 'family'-" she sneered the word. "-away and you'd never even know it."

Hiei and Kurama each took another step back, the better to get out of the line of fire. Both of them knew better than to push Alanna's buttons when she was being calm and reasonable. It was a bad sign in and of itself. They might have considered retreating further, but the shielding around them didn't allow for that much movement. Kharistahl appeared oblivious to the danger signs. Either that or she really thought she was safe.

"You have mistaken your prey this time, Kharistahl. You are not going to be allowed to simply waltz into your daughter's body and take over the entire world. Not only are you going to leave Mariko and the rest of us alone, but you are going to give us your location and wait there for the Spirit World Special Defense Forces to come and take you into custody." Again, all three of the others stared at her incredulous. Hiei and Kurama managed to squeak a few more inches of retreat.

Kharistahl recovered from the shock first and started laughing. Hiei's Jagan was wide open as he stared at Alanna and his face turned a slightly paler shade than usual. Also a little green. He stared toward Kurama for a second and then Kurama paled as well. Kharistahl caught a glimpse of Hiei's expression.

"Oh come now, Hiei. You don't really think I will take this jumped up little Mazoku brat seriously. I'll let her stay for the comic relief. You and Kurama, however need to be reminded of just who you are dealing with. I'll see you later in your dreams, where we can discuss your options privately and without these interruptions." Mariko's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell backward onto the bed yet again.

Alanna sighed and stepped forward to settle Mariko more comfortably on the bed. That done, the shielding burst like a soap bubble. Alanna's hand glowed briefly as she wrapped it around Mariko's pendant and the crystal's red glow retreated to a malevolent red dot in the center. Hiei and Kurama remained still until she turned toward them.

"It's OK. She's not going to be able to use that thing to access Mariko's body again unless Mariko invites her. Mariko is going to sleep for a while and when she wakes up, she will remember everything that happened here today. She'll probably take the necklace off then. I'm not sure what she'll do with it, though." She looked at Hiei. "You did get the location to send the Spirit World Special Defense Forces, didn't you?"

Hiei nodded and started to say something then stopped himself. Kurama stepped closer and said, "You're no more Alanna than that thing that was inside Mariko was her, are you?"

She nodded. "I should have known you two would catch on, Dads. Mom is actually kind of asleep and won't remember a lot of this."

"You took over the other night, too, didn't you?"

She sighed. "Yes, her defense mechanism is to eliminate any information she doesn't feel like accepting, but we can't let that keep happening with Kharistahl threatening the family, so we started...stepping in when things get too weird for her. You wouldn't believe how much power is available for a Mazoku and if it is applied just right, it doesn't take a lot to arrange things the way we want."

"Where did you learn to do that?"

She grinned sheepishly. "We kind of borrowed a little bit from both of your memories and worked out the technique out on our own. We've also been learning from Uncle Yusuke, Uncle Kazuma and Gramma Genkai. She's got the most interesting bits and pieces of stuff that can be converted into usable techniques. And she never even thought of doing some of this stuff. By the way, you don't need to worry about Kharistahl getting to Kira and Kara. We gave them impregnable shields weeks ago."

"So let me understand this," Kurama said slowly. "You are actually the combined mental and telepathic capabilities of the two fetuses that Alanna is carrying who will not be developed enough to be born for another few months and you have taken over your mother's consciousness and used her powers to defeat an "S" level demoness and protect your parents and siblings from her without anyone knowing until now?"

Alanna thought for a few seconds. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Is that a problem?"

"I'm not quite sure. I don't know that this has ever happened before. But if you can protect your mother and sisters from Kharistahl, that does give us a little more room to maneuver when she shows up. How did you give them shields that we never noticed?"

"That was the easy part. We simply set them up to only affect Kharistahl's power. Kind of like the ones we used today. Did you want us to give you shields so she can't pester you while you sleep tonight?"

"No, the Special Defense Forces will need time to get to where she is and capture her. Better to let her think she still holds the upper hand for the moment."

"That was kind of what we expected you to say. We're not really used to all this just yet, so we are going to let Mom wake up and get some rest ourselves." Alanna lay down next to Mariko and went limp for a few seconds. Then she stirred slowly and sat up. "Sorry about that guys, I can't believe I fainted. It must be the babies."

Kurama and Hiei looked at each other. "Must be," Hiei muttered on his way out the door. Kurama went over and helped her back to her feet.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"A little fuzzy, but OK. What happened, anyway?"

"I'm not sure where to start. What was the last thing you remember?"

Alanna rubbed her forehead in an effort to organize her thoughts. "I had a feeling something was wrong and called home. The phone got picked up, but all I heard was something that sounded like a strangled scream. I came home and found you, Hiei, Jin, Holly and Mariko in here. And things got a little fuzzy. Jin and Holly left and Mariko started acting weird. I got dizzy and then I don't remember anything else until I woke up just now. Where did Hiei go?"

"We got some information about Kiki, Missy and Mercy's killer and he went to give it to the proper authorities," Kurama replied evenly, hoping it was true. "You weren't out for very long. Perhaps you should rest for a bit until he gets back. You look a little pale."

Alanna nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't know what's gotten into me lately. I feel kind of like I did after I got the girls and Kiki's body back from wherever we were. Like all the energy has been just sucked out of me. I guess that's what happens when you have two babies growing inside you."

Kurama grunted noncomittally and scooped Mariko up as her eyes closed. "You just get some rest and I'll take Mariko back to her own room." He hadn't even reached the door before he heard her breathing slide into the even pattern of sleep. Apparently the boys used a lot more of her Demon Energies than they admitted to. Mariko didn't stir as Kurama tucked her into her own bed. Hopefully Hiei had followed instructions for once and taken the information on Kharistahl's location to the Spirit World forces instead of just heading out on his own trail of revenge.

With Mariko and Alanna asleep until who knew when and the girls due home from school in just a few hours, there wasn't really any way Kurama could go anywhere for a while. So he went back to the household chores to keep himself busy while he waited. About twenty minutes later, Jin, and Holly arrived with Yusuke and Kuwabara in tow. Once they were assured that things were as normal as possible - without receiving disturbing details about unborn geniuses - they joined Kurama in a cup of tea and some cookies until it was almost time for all the girls to come home from school.

Kuwabara's sister, Shizuru came over and invited the girls to play at Kuwabara's house with Botana and little Genkai for a couple of hours. Mariko woke up and came down to the kitchen just after they left. She was looking very sad and handed her necklace to Kurama without a word.

"Are you sure you want to give me this, Mariko?" he asked, concerned over her demeanor.

"Yes," she replied listlessly. "You were right. She never really cared for me. She just kept me so I could become a pawn in one of her evil plans."

Kurama nodded slowly and hung the necklace on a hook over the window. It would be out of reach of the children there, but available if Mariko changed her mind. Mariko sat down at the table with her head in her hands. Kurama handed her a cup of tea and a small plate of cookies that she munched on without paying any attention. When she started to look a little less depressed, Kurama offered her more tea.

"You know, Mariko," he said as he poured, "Kharistahl may not have cared for you, but Alanna, Hiei, the girls and I do. Alanna is your sister and would do anything for you. And we all love having you here."

Mariko brightened up a bit and was cheered even more when the girls came home and declared themselves very relieved that she was all right after sleeping all that time. Hiei got home shortly after that and let Kurama know that his errand had been successful. He also told Mariko he was glad she had suffered no ill effects from her assorted familial visits. He looked rather sharply at the necklace hanging in the window but refrained from commenting. Alanna slept on.

Dinner was relatively cheerful with Mariko and the twins giggling at the silliness Kurama was deliberately throwing at them. Hiei was mostly quiet, but that was normal and no one commented on it. Once the girls were fed, bathed and tucked into bed, Hiei, Mariko and Kurama relaxed for a while. Finally, Mariko voiced her concern to them.

"Suichi, I know my mother said she was going to visit you tonight when you go to sleep. The images that came across when she said that were really ugly, too. Are you two going to be all right?"

"Yes, Mariko, we'll be fine." he assured the worried girl. "After all, she wants me to do things for her and I won't be able to do that if she really hurts me."

"But what about Hiei? She doesn't want him nearly as much and if she hurts him that will hurt you without making you unable to do what she wants. Or the girls." Mariko shuddered. "She really likes hurting children," she finished in a quiet, frightened voice that spoke of experience and pain.


	15. Chapter 15

"So nice to see you again, boys." Kharistahl chuckled evilly as Hiei and Kurama looked around and found themselves in Kharistahl's favorite torture chamber. The shackles hung from the ceiling let them hang just out of reach of the floor and there was plenty of room for her to prowl around them, which she did, slowly sliding a hand or her nails or some implement across their skin at unexpected moments. "Now, since it's been a while, I guess we have to start your education all over again, don't we?"

"Hn." Hiei's response was the only sound in the room for a few seconds besides the hiss of the various fires. Kurama didn't bother, although he did draw his breath in rather sharply as Kharistahl grabbed a handful of flesh in her clawlike nails. The slap of her hand across Hiei's abdomen pointed out that they were both nearly naked.

"Tsk. Going to have to work on your discipline boys. The proper response to that question was 'Yes, Lady Kharistahl.' Now let's try it again, shall we?"

"I don't think so," Kurama's calm announcement covered Hiei's repeat of the same grunt. Kharistahl glared up at him. "You can't frighten us, Kharistahl. This is just a dream and you cannot actually cause us any harm here."

"You think not, Kurama? Silly boy, I've never felt the need to actually hurt you or anyone you held dear before, but you have just about worn out my patience. Now, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way, but either way, you are going to swear your allegiance to me before you leave here. Count on it."

"I think not. I will make you one promise and only one, Kharistahl. I swear you shall have my undying enmity. I will never work for you and I will never allow you to hurt me or mine again."

"Oh dear. I was afraid you were going to take this badly. How about you, Hiei?"

"Hn. What he says goes for me as well. Except I will hunt you down and kill you myself when I have a chance."

"Mmmm. When you have a chance. But you see boys, I wasn't planning on giving either of you a chance. Neither one of you is going to leave this little dream without swearing unbreakable oaths giving yourselves to me. Body and soul."

"You don't quite understand. We. Will. Never. Surrender."

"No, it's you who doesn't understand. If you don't surrender, You. Will. Never. Wake. Up."

"Hn. Can we please get on with this? All this witty banter is getting boring."

"I don't know that I would classify it as witty, but we can stop now and get on to the next phase in your re-education, Hiei. Why don't you go play like a good boy while the grown-ups talk." Hiei vanished from where he was hanging and the rest of the room vanished as well. Kurama found himself stretched out on a soft bed, unable to move with a large circular window of sorts above him. Kharistahl was laying beside him, her hands wandering over his anatomy.

"Watch," she whispered in his ear just before her tongue slid over his neck. "Hiei is going to be reunited with his dear little family. Let's see how he takes it, shall we?"

Hiei was standing in what appeared to be his livingroom. He looked around himself. Everything appeared to be where it belonged. He heard the sound of small feet tearing down the hall toward the top of the stairs. He reached the base of the stairs just in time to hear a shriek of "Daddy! Catch me! Crikey!" Just before a small body came flying, literally, down the staircase. Hiei felt the impact when she hit and when his head hit the wall behind him, just like always.

"Mercy, you have to stop doing that. You're getting bigger and that's starting to hurt."

"Sorry, Daddy. I forgot." Yep - Just like always. He set her down and started toward the sofa. The kitchen door opened and Missy called for them to come to dinner.

Entering the kitchen, Hiei was the recipient of a warm hug and a kiss that promised better things after Mercy went to bed. He kept waiting for something horrible to happen, knowing as he did that this was just one of Kharistahl's nightmares and his family was really dead and gone, but the evening continued with uncanny normalcy. Mercy chattered non-stop through a meal that would have been hard to eat even without the lump in his throat. Missy never had learned to cook an edible meal.

Mercy gave him only a minor and normal amount of trouble getting her into the bath. She never wanted to bathe. Something about fire demons and water never seemed particularly compatible. Finally she was clean and dry and had had a story read. One more request for a drink and she was off to sleep.

Missy was waiting for him in the livingroom when he came back down. She snuggled up to him on the sofa and they discussed their respective days and then went to bed. The next three days seemed normal and it was hard for Hiei to keep in mind that this was all just an evil set-up of Kharistahl's. It began to feel like the time between the attack and when this dream started were the real nightmare and his life had returned to it's blissful normalcy.

After about a week of this, however, there was a knock at the front door. Missy answered it and was pinned to the wall by a pair of demons. Before Hiei could get his sword and defend her, he felt something snap around his neck and was pulled up short. "Hello again, Pet. Did you miss me?"

Mercy came down the stairs and saw her parents struggling. Immediately, she attacked the demons holding her mother. Waving her small katana and shrieking "Crikey!" at the top of her lungs, she dove into them as Hiei was dragged to the far side of the room. Missy's attackers paid the child no heed as two more of the large beastlike demons came in and engaged the child in combat. Hiei realized he was seeing a re-enactment of the battle that killed his family just as the demons holding Missy ripped her internal organs out with their claws. She dropped to the ground, blood spraying everywhere.

Mercy shrieked yet again as her mother fell and a dragon made of black flame about twenty-five feet long appeared and began tearing into the attacking demons. The two holding Mercy were trying to pull her away when a portal opened and a fifth demon appeared. He stabbed the two holding Mercy, grabbed the child, and vanished with her. The black dragon devoured the demon corpses and then vanished. Hiei stared, stunned by the possibility that Mercy might have been spared the horrible death he had understood her to have suffered.

"Problem, Pet?" Cheiko purred into his ear as she dragged him out the back door of the now burning house. "If you want to see the little demoness again, all you have to do is join the right side. That's what I am supposed to tell you. Personally, I'd rather not. She's such a little pest."

"You-" Whatever Hiei had been going to say was cut off as Cheiko yanked on the chain attached to the collar he wore. Hiei reminded himself yet again that this was just one of Kharistahl's nightmares and prayed to wake up soon. The collar and the humiliation it represented felt all too real at the moment. He closed his eyes and willed it all to go away.

Kurama watched his friend as he was dragged off by Kharistahl's daughter. He had also seen the attack. He wasn't going to ask about Mercy. Kharistahl would say the child was alive to use that against both Hiei and Kurama whether it was true or not.

"Seen enough, Youko dear? Or do I need to find other subjects to play with? Are you ready to swear your loyalty or do I need to show you more?" Kurama turned his head away and closed his eyes. He wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of letting her see how much Hiei's renewed suffering affected him. Hiei had only just started to recover from the loss of his family and now he had had to go through it all over again.

"No answer? Hmm, I suppose that means you aren't ready yet. Ah well, more fun coming up. I was planning to use your little girls, but I see that you have somehow come up with a method of shielding them. Too bad you can't use that on yourself. Still, there are always other ways to skin a fox."

Kurama found himself sitting on the floor next to Kharistahl's throne. A tight collar and leash holding him immobile. To one side, Cheiko sat in a smaller throne with Hiei on the floor beside her. The throne on the other side held Kharistahl's son Akira. Suddenly, the dark area before them was illuminated to show Holly stretched between two sets of chains, one coming down from the ceiling and the other up through the floor. A pair of small cages hanging beside her held her children.

"Akira, if you would do the honors." Kharistahl waved casually toward the cages under which a barrel of some kind of liquid appeared. It appeared to be a pale green and fairly gelatinous. Akira walked over and sniffed the air above the barrel.

"Lemon-lime, Mother?"

"Well plain lime is boring. Besides, it's been overdone."

"You're going to drown them in lemon-lime jello, Akira?" Cheiko sneered at her brother, running her hand absently over the top of Hiei's head, rather like petting a cat. "You really are a spaz, you know that?"

"Careful, Cheiko. Mom picked the flavor."

"It's not the flavor I object to, it's the fact that you are planning to use jello to kill them. I mean really. That is too pathetic. Therefore, spaz you are."

"Children, children. There is no reason to argue. I chose the method and the flavor for this event, so Cheiko, I would suggest you stop calling people names."

"Pfffft, he's still a spaz," she muttered under her breath.

"Now, Akira. Please explain to my friend here-" she ran her hand over Kurama's head. "-exactly how this game is played. Pay close attention, Youko. I don't want him to need to explain it more than once."

"Mmmm-kay! Here's the game plan. I ask you to swear eternal loyalty to Mother. You say 'yes' and everyone goes home safe and happy. Yay." His voice was flat and unamused before, just as animatedly, he continued. "You say 'no' and I start dunking kitty until you either change your mind or she stops squirming. Should things go that far, we start over again with the little fox. If that doesn't help, we start plucking the pretty gold feathers and then rip the wings out by the roots before she joins the kids in the jello mold. Any questions?"

Kurama growled quietly, but didn't say anything. Hiei started forward only to be jerked back to his position next to Cheiko by his leash. Kharistahl chuckled evilly and waved her hand toward Akira.

"Right, then. First, we give Kurama the chance to save the daughter and grandkids from all this suffering. What do you say, old man?" This was asked with a rather over-the-top British accent, "Willing to give your all so they don't have to?" Akira smirked and started toward the first cage. The kitten looked around for a way out.

"Ah dun't want ta go inta the jello mold. Ah don't even like jello. Especially not lemon-lime. Grandpa Youko, yer not gunta let him do this to me are ya?" She squirmed and bit and scratched and wound up hung by the scruff of her neck over the barrel. "Ah know I annoyed ye, but isn't this a bit much?"

Kurama stared off across the room and made no response. Akira shrugged and dropped the kitten. She disappeared into the half set jello with a bloop. He stood over the barrel watching to see if she would return to the surface. It remained smooth. He shrugged again. "Huh, guess she couldn't swim. That takes some of the fun out of this. Ah well, off to the next victim."

He approached the little fox's cage more carefully and waited a moment before opening it. "Youko, are you sure you want to see another family member go under the non-toxic edible green slime?"

"Oh please, Mother make him stop. He's stealing cheap lines off children's shows."

"What are you talking about, Cheiko?" Akira asked.

"You stole that line off that stupid cartoon the Brat watches. Billy and Mindy, or something."

"It's Mandy, but who has he been watching it with?" Hiei asked.

"The Brat, of course. Our most recent sibling."

"Does this Brat have a name?"

"Yes, but we never use it."

"Cheiko, you can chat with your pet once the proceedings are over," Kharistahl interrupted. "You are holding up the show. Now be quiet until we are done or you can't stay and watch."

"Yes, Mother."

"Continue, Akira."

"Right." He dragged the fox out of the cage by her tail. "Now, Youko. Last chance to say farewell to another kid."

"Mmmm. Ah love jello," Fyrra said as she hung over the barrel. "You keep telling them what they can do with their plans, Grandfather. As fer me, looks like it's time to eat some slime."

"Motherrrr," Cheiko whined as Fyrra dropped in nose first and vanished. Kurama's attention was drawn to where Holly hung chained. Her head was bent over her chest and she was shaking. At first he thought she was weeping, but it became immediately obvious that she was laughing instead. Akira, Cheiko and Kharistahl looked at her curiously, wondering if the sight of her children vanishing into the jello had unhinged her mind.

A few seconds later, Hiei and Kurama joined in the laughter. "And what, pray tell is so funny," Kharistahl snarled at the three of them. They just laughed harder. The surface of the jello quivered a bit, catching Akira's eye. He leaned forward and looked down into the yellow-green depths just as there was an explosion of light in the barrel and most of the jello flew out, directly into his face. Akira was blown over and found himself laying on his back on the floor, covered in jello as the kitten and the fox kit scrambled out of the barrel.

Akira looked at the small creatures washing the slime from their fur and then at himself, covered in a good inch of the stuff and sitting in a huge puddle. He looked over at his mother and sister who were also decorated with globs of the stuff. And then he burst out laughing. The situation was just too ridiculous for him to do anything else.


	16. Chapter 16

"Mother, the spaz has gone mad," he heard his sister whine. "And so has my pet. I can't have a mad pet."

"Akira, catch those little pests and get them back in their cages," Kharistahl snapped. She waved her hand and the barrel and all the jello vanished. Jinny and Fyrra found themselves sitting in midair. Before they could recover, Akira had them and was stuffing them back into their respective cages. Hiei, Kurama and Holly watched with avid interest.

"You have remembered, Dad and Uncle Hiei, that this is a dream, haven't you," Holly said calmly with a smile. "No matter what they do to anyone here it won't affect us in the real world."

"Yes, Holly. I remember. Don't worry, no matter what they do here, I'm not about to actually give in to them. THAT would be stupid."

"Hn."

"By the way, Uncle Hiei, that collar is way overdone. I thought she was kidding. Black leather with silver studs? Sooo cliche."

"True, Holly, but it makes her happy. Besides while we're all here participating in this silliness they aren't out in the world committing REAL trouble." Hiei's grin as he looked up at Cheiko was feral, promising retribution.

"Mother, are you going to let them keep saying these things?" she asked, looking at her "pet" askance.

"Yes, Cheiko. As they said, what happens here has little or no effect in the real world if they don't believe it." Kharistahl gave an evil grin of her own. "This is just to keep us all occupied and entertained while my minions in their world collect the REAL hostages. Once I have them, all this resistance will come to a screeching halt and everything will go back to the plans."

Hiei and Kurama looked at each other with alarm. Alanna (and her twins) had still been sleeping when they started this dream. If they did not wake up, how could they defend the girls? Now that they were here, however, they would just have to trust that those at home were protected. Kharistahl caught the look and laughed.

"Oh come on, boys. You don't really think I was planning to just try and terrify you two into compliance here and leave your loved ones safe at home. I may not be able to invade their minds and dreams, but I am certainly capable of having sleep spells cast over your house and the houses of your friends and sending my people in to collect whomever I choose. I expect that you will all do my bidding once I have your spouses and children under my control. And yes, Akira, you may have that mouthy Mazoku bitch as a pet." She just rolled her eyes at Akira's girlish squeal of delight.

Kurama and Hiei traded another look. They HAD been concentrating on getting through this nightmare without giving Kharistahl what she wanted and had overlooked the fact that she had minions in the Human World who would do her bidding. They could only hope that there would not be a bloodbath like last time. Also that the Spirit World Special Defense forces would find Kharistahl's hide-out before anything happened that could not be corrected. Kurama shrugged and Hiei grimaced in response. There was nothing they could do about it from here.

"Ooohhh. You really didn't think that anything was going to happen while you were here. Silly boys. I suppose that just goes to show you how adding emotions to a situation can really mess with what would be otherwise a great mind. So Kurama, are there any traces left of the Coldest Mind in Makai? Or have you really gone as soft in the head as you are in the heart?"

Kurama grinned up at her sheepishly. "I suppose I deserved that. But if that is the case, you would have no use for me, now would you?"

Kharistahl looked at him contemplatively. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure I could find one or two things to use you for, even if you were stupid as a rock," she leered.

"Mum, what does the nasty old lady mean? How could she use Grandpa Youko?" Fyrra asked from her cage, reminding Kharistahl that she had an audience. Fortunately - or not, depending no your point of view - before any of the adults had a chance to answer the child, one of Kharistahl's minions came scurrying into the room and dropped onto his knees before her throne. Obviously terrified, he bowed his head and remained nearly motionless - except for the trembling.

Kharistahl glared down at him, understanding just from his posture that she was not going to like what he was going to say. She glared at the others in the room. With a wave of her hand, Holly and the girls vanished. Looking at Hiei and Kurama speculatively, she glanced at Akira and Cheiko.

"You-" she said, pointing toward the cowering minion, "-don't move. Youko, you and Hiei go wait in a dreamscape." The room around them faded away and they found themselves sitting on a couch in front of a television. The screen was blank for a moment and then lit up showing an empty room.

"Did you manage to catch what had that fool so frightened?" Kurama asked Hiei.

"Not much. His thoughts weren't very coherent," Hiei replied. "Kharistahl was annoyed because he was supposed to come in and announce the success of the demons sent out to collect the children and spouses from Our house, Yusuke's, Kuwabara's and Jin's. His thoughts were a jumble of disaster and failure, but no specifics."

"Hmmm. That's not going to make Kharistahl happy."

"Hence the utter terror. Apparently there was something resembling good news, but not much."

There was the sound of a door opening from the television and they watched with interest as a sleeping Alanna was carried in and laid on the bed.

"Hn. That can't be good. Not if it is for real."

"No, but if Alanna wakes up in a strange place with unfamiliar surroundings, she will assume it is a nightmare and she will feel free to access her Mazoku powers to free herself." Akira entered the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, apparently waiting for her to awaken. "This could get interesting."

Hiei's most feral grin made an appearance as he watched Akira lean over the sleeping girl and run his hand down her arm. "Obviously he has never been around Alanna when she first wakes up," he snickered in anticipation. Alanna muttered something unintelligible and rolled away from Akira.

Kurama leaned forward intently. "At least we are being shown quality entertainment while that poor fool delivers the bad news." Akira pulled on Alanna's shoulder and rolled her back toward him. He never even saw the opposite fist coming until it landed dead square on his jaw and flung him across the room. Alanna grunted again and curled herself into a ball under the covers.

Hiei and Kurama both shook their heads in exasperation as Akira picked himself up off the floor and stalked back toward the bed. Alanna was nothing but a lump under the covers, but Akira yanked the covers off and grabbed her shoulder and shook it roughly. The observers both flinched as Alanna's eyes opened briefly and then narrowed to slits.

"Who the hell are you and what do you think you are doing interrupting my rest," she growled through clenched teeth. She looked around herself. "And where the hell am I and how did I get here?

Akira stepped back from the edge of the bed, whether for safety sake or dramatic effect was debatable. "I." he announced grandly, "am Akira, God of Lies, Prince of the Nightmare Realm, Only Son of Kharistahl and Raisen of the Mazoku and, from this moment forth, your Master."

"Hn. That should get her attention."

"Sh, Hiei. She'll set him straight soon enough."

"Riiggghhhtttt." Alanna sat up slowly, taking in the luxurious bed chamber. "You're my master and whatever you want to do with me, you will. Sure. This is a stupid enough dream. Let's go with it. Just don't expect me to cooperate in this silliness."

Akira looked slightly baffled for a moment. "This is not a dream. My minions kidnapped you from Youko and Hiei's home and delivered you here to me. You will obey me and do my bidding or you will suffer the consequences."

Alanna looked him slowly up and down. "I don't think so. First of all, if you are Akira, Mariko's twin, that makes you my brother as well and if you try to order me around I'm going to kick your ass. Besides, if you try any of that weird stuff with me, it will be incest and I'm not interested."

"How dare you speak to me like that. On your knees, wench!"

"Oh please. Get over yourself. I haven't seen anything worth getting on my knees for and besides, I'm tired. Let me get some rest and come back in two hours with coffee, two sugars and cream, and a croissant with plenty of butter and blackberry jam and I'll talk to you then." Alanna lay back down with her back to Akira and pulled the covers up to her shoulder. "And turn the lights off on your way out, pest. Master, heh."

Akira stared at her in bewilderment for a moment and then turned and left the room, turning the lights out on his way. Hiei and Kurama practically fell off the couch laughing.

"That was priceless," Kurama said when he could breathe again.

"Pure Alanna," Hiei agreed, still chuckling.

"I'm so glad you boys are enjoying yourselves." Kharistahl's voice effectively killed any signs of mirth. They found themselves back in her throne room, on the floor in front of the throne this time. "I'd like you to tell me why the only room my minions could enter was the one you shared with that bitch and how she came to be carrying two children. And whose they are."

Hiei and Kurama looked at each other for a moment, then Hiei shrugged, appointing Kurama spokesman. "Well, about that, there's a funny story there that -"

"Never mind the funny stories, Youko. Just answer the questions."

"Which one did you want answered first?" he asked nervously.

"Where did those shields come from?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I think Alanna created them herself to protect the children and Mariko. As you said, they were not on our room, so she must have thought we could defend ourselves from anything that threatened us."

"Hmmm. I suppose that is possible. She has been creating some interesting shields against specific types of attacks. Very well. Now, about those children she is carrying. She has some kind of shielding around her mind and them as well. So, tell me where she got them."

"Well, first of all, you will recall that she was a normal human-" Kharistahl snorted. "Physically normal, anyway. Then, the last time your minions tried to steal the children, they dragged my twins, Kiki and Alanna to Makai before killing Kiki and Alanna. Apparently, that awakened the Mazoku gene in Alanna and she destroyed them and brought the girls and Kiki's body back to our home."

"Yes yes. That's all old news."

"You commented on Alanna's obliviousness to anything demonic yesterday. She has never believed in demons or anything like that, and so consigns any contact of that nature to the back of her memory and treats it like a bad dream. She would not listen when we explained that there had been actual changes in her. When we were planning the trip to Makai afterward, we were eating dinner and not really paying a lot of attention to the food Alanna put on the table. She put out a plate of cookies and both Hiei and I had started eating them before we realized that they were chocolate chip.-"

"So the little twit fed BOTH of you chocolate and ate it herself?"

"That's about the size of it."

"So the children she carries are-"

"Ours." Hiei finished.

"Then I guess that I don't need any other hostages for your good behavior. The twit and her children should be sufficient to keep you two in line." Kharistahl leaned back in her throne. "My minions did manage to bring her to our hidden base. So she will be safe for as long as you follow orders, other than being Akira's plaything."

"Hn. I'd say it was more the other way around from what I saw."

"Yes, he didn't handle that well, but it doesn't matter. She is here where I can deal with her as I see fit and I am not likely to be put off by a bit of resistance." Kharistahl glared at Hiei while he made no attempt to cover the derisive smirk he wore. "By the way, my minions were driven off by a girl who bore a striking resemblance to you, Hiei. Who is she?"

"Girl?" Hiei was confused. None of the females he was related to resembled him to any great degree that he was aware of.

"Yes. She was about your size and had dark hair and a Jagan. My minions also reported that she is only half demon and wore a leather dress with fringes and beadwork. Ring any bells?"

"No, can't say that it does."

"Hmmm. Well, they report that she is still waiting at your house, so I'll let you wake up now so you can find out what is going on. You can go too, Youko. Just remember that I have Alanna and your unborn children and when I call you will respond or they will suffer."

Kharistahl's laughter faded as they woke up at home.


	17. Chapter 17

Hiei and Kurama woke slowly as the greasy black smoke filling the room waned. Obviously, Kharistahl's minions had resorted to traditional magic and set a Dead Man's Hand candle burning. Alanna was missing from her accustomed place between them. Apparently at least some of what they had been shown and told was true. They got up and staggered down the hall to the twins room. The girls were asleep and appeared undisturbed. In the next room, Mariko also rested calmly.

There was a sound of movement in the kitchen downstairs. Both Hiei and Kurama crept silently down the hall. The back door opened and closed and the air cleared further. Motioning Hiei to wait, Kurama stepped into the room. There was a small, dark-haired girl setting up the coffee pot and clearing the air by waving the fumes out an open window.

She had an odd shape wrapped around her neck. It appeared to be made of translucent black flame and looked vaguely familiar. Then it lifted it's head from the far side of the girl and spotted Kurama in the doorway. Suddenly, the shape resolved itself into the long, slender form of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. And it flew across the room toward him, jaws agape. The beast stopped short of an actual attack when the girl turned around and called out.

"Darky! What are you doing?"

The dragon looked from Kurama to the girl, still behind the mass of his body with something resembling exasperation. "He snuck up behind you. I thought I would eat him so he didn't do it again."

The girl giggled childishly. "Silly dragon," She gently cuffed the dragon over the nose as if it were an ill-behaved puppy, "You can't eat him. He's one of the good guys."

"He smelled like a demon, kind of like the ones you let me eat earlier. What's so special about him?"

The girl pouted at the dragon. "I smell like a demon, too, but you don't try to eat me."

The dragon sputtered incoherently a few seconds before giving Kurama a glare that practically shouted "See what I have to put up with." Kurama, his back pressed to the wall slid a little further into the room. His intent was two-fold. First and foremost, he wanted to put some distance between himself and the aggravated dragon. Secondly, he wanted to get a look at the girl. Through the dragon's translucent body, he has glimpsed what appeared to be quasi-familiar elfin features. Including what appeared to be a third eye in the middle of her forehead.

The dragon shifted with him, keeping it's bulk between him and the girl. Kurama decided to try conversation. "Am I to understand we have you to thank for stopping Kharistahl's minions from removing my daughters from the house?" he asked the girl, speaking almost directly through the dragon.

"Weeeelll, it was mostly Darky, but I helped a bit." The girl was smiling so much it appeared her face might break. After a moment, she looked back at the dragon. "Darky, move so I can talk to the nice man, please."

"Hn. Nice man. What do you know from nice men?"

"Ddaarrkkyyy." The name was stretched in warning. The dragon grunted again and moved slightly to the side so Kurama and the girl could see each other, though the mass of his form remained between them.

"Ooooooooh..." The girl hopped OVER the dragon - a feat in and of itself - and landed cross-legged on Kurama's chest, knocking him backwards. "You're preeeetty..."

It took Kurama a moment to catch his breath. "Th..Thank you, I...think." He tilted his head back a bit and found himself looking up into the yellow eyes and open jaws of the dragon. In the next instant, there was a dark flash across the room and the weight was gone from his chest. A startled "eep" was followed by the sound of a body hitting the wall hard. There was a second impact as a second body pinned the first to the wall.

"Owwwww..." The girl groaned, turning a pair of surprised chocolate-colored eyes towards Hiei's, "What was tha..." She trailed off, just staring at him a second. "Are you my Daddy?" She asked, tilting her head to one side, her current situation apparently forgotten.

Hiei looked at her a moment and then looked again. From Kurama's position on the floor, it was almost looking at mirror images, except for changes in coloration. The girl's skin was a pale coppery color as opposed to Hiei's stark white. Her eyes were much darker than Hiei's, appearing nearly black in the limited light. Her hair was neatly pulled back into two braids and held off her face by a beaded leather headband, showing a bright green eye in the center of her forehead, just where a Jagan would be, if she had one.

Hiei's Jagan was currently wide open as he probed the girl's mind with ruthless determination to find out who she was and where she came from. His face took on a sickly green hue as he found the answers he sought. He released the child and she, without removing her stare from his, waved her hand and the dragon vanished.

Then, with absolutely no warning whatsoever, her arms had wrapped around Hiei in an almost bone-crushing hug.

"Oooooooh! It took me FOREVER to find you since Mommy and the Moron died! I looked everywhere in Makai for you! Mr. Koenma Sir brought me back to the Human World before the Kakai slammed." She smiled and her arms tightened their grip slightly, "I missed you a lot, Daddy! Well, I didn't really know I could miss you until Mommy's uncle and Darky told me that the Moron wasn't my daddy...but I missed you lots when I found out that he wasn't!" She was babbling almost like the twins generally did, near incoherency.

Hiei was staring at the girl with an expression of hope, disbelief and horror. Obviously the child was his. His Jagan had already proved her ancestry and history. And yet here was another target for their worst enemy's attacks. He was frozen in place, letting her babble wash over him as he considered all the implications of her arrival. As far as pros and cons went, this was not an auspicious time for the child to arrive. His already stony features tightened even more. They had to get rid of that-his thought was interrupted by a sharp finger poking into his chest.

"Are you even listening to me?" The girl stood back a step with her hands on her hips, obviously waiting for an answer to a question she asked a while ago.

Hiei was still trying to absorb the news that he had another daughter and Kurama stepped into the breach. "Please forgive him, miss. He has had a number of shocks in the last few days, some more pleasant than others and you arrival at this time is both unexpected and disturbing. I am sure that once he adjusts to your arrival he will be glad to see you, but just now his mind is a little overloaded."

"Oh. OK. I'm Raven."

"Kurama, Miss Raven, though most of the people around here call me Suichi." Glancing at the clock, he realized it was nearly time for the children to get up for school. He started bustling around, making coffee and breakfast. "Coffee will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you put Hiei-" who still wore a dazed expression, "over in a chair while we wait for the coffee. I'm sure he'll be better in just a few minutes."

Actually, Kurama had a few doubts on that score as he watched the girl practically wrestle Hiei into a chair and then take the one next to him. Between reliving his loss of Missy and Mercy, having Alanna stolen out of their bed and the children endangered and then to find this new daughter just when things were getting their most interesting, Hiei was having a little trouble keeping up. Kurama kept sneaking glances over to where his friend was sitting as he prepared the coffee and the family's breakfast. Raven kept babbling, oblivious to the fact that her father probably wasn't taking in more than one word in ten.

The coffee, when it was ready, seemed to help. Hiei's eyes lost the glazed expression and he seemed to understand what was being said to him. Mostly. He had at least recovered sufficiently by the time the twins came down to present a facade of normalcy until they made it out the door for school. Naturally, they were thrilled to meet a new "cousin" and wanted to skip school to spend time with her. Kurama ended that plan by explaining that they should let Raven and Hiei get to know one another first and then they could pester her.

Mariko was almost as pleased to meet Raven as the girls were. She insisted that Raven let her help get the guest room ready and get her settled in.

Once the children were off to school, Raven and Mariko busily arranging the guest room and Hiei better equipped to deal with his day, Kurama sat down at the table next to him and said, "So, any ideas?"

"Hn." Hiei glared at him over his coffee cup as he drained it before handing it back for a refill. "What kind of ideas are you looking for? Is Mercy really still alive? Not a clue. How are we going to get Alanna back? No idea. What in the name of all that is holy am I going to do with another daughter? How do I protect her from Kharistahl? What are we going to do about Kharistahl? All I have is questions. Have you got any answers?"

"I'm working on them," Kurama replied, handing Hiei the refilled cup. "First of all, Alanna can't be all that far away from here. Secondly, the Spirit World Special Defense Forces, while admittedly not up to dealing with Kharistahl on her own turf in Makai, stand at least an even chance of catching, if not her, most of her minions. You gave them the location you got last night, right?"

"Yes, but it doesn't seem to be slowing her activities at all."

"True, but they may take a little while to get set up in order to capture everyone there. Once the base has been raided and everyone they can capture has been, we'll see if one of those they bring in is Mercy. In the meantime, I believe we can track down wherever the kidnappers took Alanna and get her back before she can actually be delivered into Akira's tender care."

Hiei grinned at the thought. "I don't know. Maybe we should let him have her. What do you think he'll be willing to do to give her back after a week?"

Kurama grinned back. "While I agree with the sentiment behind the thought, Hiei, I don't think that's a good idea. Kharistahl knows Alanna has the boys, even if she doesn't know what they are capable of. If Akira screws up, Kharistahl will take a personal interest in Alanna and it will be significantly more difficult to retrieve her then."

"Hn. That's an understatement. OK, let's go get Alanna."

Kurama called a farewell up the stairs to Mariko and Raven and they were out the front door before the girls had a chance to intervene. Kurama found a scent trail almost immediately and, as they had expected, it ran into a nearby forested area. A few miles in, the trail lead into a cave. Watching carefully for traps - so far there had been no resistance - they proceeded slowly underground.

Kurama marked the trail out with small glowing flowers. They still saw no traps or resistance, but the cave changed once they were further in and became a corridor. There were now lights and there were doors on either side. They checked all the doors, but found only darkened rooms. The trail led onward and around a corner.

Peering around the corner, They saw that one door, about halfway down the hall, had three large, ugly demons in front of it. There was no way to approach them without being seen, so Kurama sent a small thread of green ivy slithering silently down the hall. It wrapped around the demons without them noticing and then suddenly grew much thicker with thorns. All three of the demons collapsed to the floor silently.

"Nice trick," Hiei commented. "Are they dead?"

"No, the thorns inject a sleeping agent that acts almost immediately. They'll wake up in about two hours with a hideous headache and no memory of why they are on the floor."

"Hn. Do you think there are more inside?"

"I don't know, but this is where the scent trail leads." Kurama leaned forward and listened at the door. Hiei's Jagan opened and he stared through it as well. Kurama reached for the door knob just as Hiei yanked him to the side. They plastered themselves to the wall as the door was yanked open and a muttering Akira stomped out, stumbling over his fallen minions.

"Wha-?" was all he had time for before Kurama's vines struck like snakes and he dropped on the spot. Hiei and Kurama looked at each other and then at the fallen foe. Then they glanced around the corner of the door jamb to look into the room. It was bare and almost empty, but there was a second door on the other side. Hiei and Kurama dragged their four victims into the room and closed the door behind them.

While Kurama watched at the outer door, Hiei checked out the next room. "Alanna is in there alone," he announced finally. "I better find the kitchen in this place."

"Why?" Kurama asked, nervously.

"BECAUSE IF HE DOESN'T I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!! COFFEE, SHORTY!! NOW!!!" Alanna's voice blew through the door and Kurama stepped away to give Hiei room to exit (all right, flee). "AND DON'T FORGET THE BLACKBERRY JAM AND BUTTER FOR THE CROISSANT!!"

"Alanna," Kurama said opening the door to the room they had seen on the screen in their nightmare. "You need to be a little quieter so you aren't attracting attention. We want to get out of here with as little fighting as necessary."

"Don't be stupid. I'm looking forward to a good fight. That little twit Akira is a wimp." Just then Hiei arrived with a breakfast tray with coffee, fresh fruit and danish with lots of butter.

"Sorry, they were out of croissants. Blueberry cheese danishes were the best I could do," he muttered as she grabbed the coffee and a danish. She sighed and sat back with a smile.

"That's OK Shorty. You're forgiven," Alanna muttered through her breakfast. She took another swig of coffee and swallowed. "So. What the hell took you so long to get here? I've been here for hours and you only just now show up. For all I knew, they had hurt one or both of you. How dare you make me worry by being late to rescue me!!"

As she spoke, Alanna became more visibly frantic and the last statement was delivered in a shrill screech at a decibel level guaranteed to carry for miles. Hiei and Kurama covered their ears and cringed in pain. Even the unconscious demons in the other room seemed to shudder in distress. There was a sound of shouted voices and running feet in the distance. Kurama looked at Hiei.

"Perfect."

Hiei crossed the outer room and stared down the hall. No signs of others, but from the sounds of it, it was only a matter of time. "We need to get out of here now!" He declared.

"Keep your shirt on, Shorty. You can't rush a pregnant woman through her breakfast. Where's the bathroom? I gotta go." Hiei pointed to a door at the back of the chamber and Alanna raced through it. A few minutes later she came out to find both Kurama and Hiei standing in the outer room and watching the hall.

"Are you ready to go, now?" Hiei snapped, not removing his gaze from the hallway.

"Yes yes. We can go now. Sheesh." She started toward the door and then stopped as Kurama held out his hand. "What now?"

"Company." Hiei's answer was practically snarled. Alanna peeked out into the apparently deserted hallway. Before she could say anything, he turned and glared at her. "They are gathering at the corner and trying to build up their courage to charge us. We need a plan, Kurama."

"No," Kurama replied, grabbing the barely conscious Akira by the collar and tossing him in Hiei's direction. "We just need a hostage. They won't attack if they think we might hurt Kharistahl's precious son."

"Hn. That'll work." Hiei grinned ferally into Akira's groggy face and held his katana to his throat.

Akira swallowed nervously. He wasn't quite aware of what was happening, but the look on Hiei's face made him think, "Mom's gonna kill me." Hiei's smirk widened, reminding Akira he was a telepath.

"Hn. She can't kill you until she gets a hold of you. In the meantime, we are right here and more than capable of making whatever is left of your existence one of pain and regret." Akira swallowed again as he studied his options and came up with nothing that didn't involve pain. It was just a question of time and perpetrator. The most immediate threat grinned at him again and kicked the door open just as his troops started around the corner toward them.

Hiei stepped out the door, dragging Akira with him. He jerked Akira around so that he was between the charging forces and the door, holding him directly in front of his katana. "Tell them to stop and go away," he prompted, pulling back on his collar and inserting the point of the katana through the back of his jacket and shirt.

"Stop there, men." They stopped and looked at him uncertainly. Akira stepped to the side at Hiei's urging, showing his men the sword. "Go back down to the kitchen and stay there for ten minutes. If I don't come down, one of you will have to tell my mother what happened."

One of the men stepped forward, "But Akira-sama, our orders are-"

Akira cut him off with a snarl as Hiei's katana stabbed a little harder into his back. "Your orders come from me and I said to go and wait for me in the kitchen."

Hiei grinned at the nervous guardsmen while Kurama hustled Alanna out the door and down the hallway behind them. "You really should listen to him," he added helpfully. "No matter what your orders might have been, if you force me to gut him like a fish in front of you because you aren't listening, Kharistahl will make you wish it had been you."

There was a muttered conference between the guardsmen and then the spokesman stepped forward again. "We will go, but if anything happens to Akira-sama, we will make sure you regret it."

"Hn."

The guardsmen shuffled back down the hall and around the corner. When they were all out of sight, Akira sighed and relaxed. "You can let me go, now. There is no way they will catch you and you do not want to drag me along behind when you need to move quickly."

"Hn. I guess you don't understand the position of 'hostage' if you think I am just going to release you and stroll away," Hiei started backing down the hallway after Kurama and Alanna, dragging Akira with him. "As a hostage, you are going to go with us and then, when we are home, we will contact your mother and see what she is willing to trade for you."

"Probably won't be much," Akira muttered as he staggered down the hall. Kurama and Alanna had a good five minute head start back toward the house when Hiei and Akira stepped out of the cave. Hiei walked slowly and allowed the time lapse to increase to fifteen minutes before they got home. Everyone was waiting for them in the entryway when they got there. Mariko shut the door behind them and whirled on her brother.

"Akira, what are you doing here with Hiei? You weren't part of the group of demons that kidnapped Alanna, were you? How could you do that to our baby sister?" Mariko started questioning her brother incessantly the instant he stepped through the door. Hiei, Kurama and Alanna watched in growing admiration as Mariko practically pounced on her brother and kept asking him angry questions without giving him a minute to answer. Raven watched in growing horror, all three of her eyes growing to incredible dimensions as her pupils vanished from view. Mariko finally backed Akira into a corner with her questioning and her glare and stopped short after asking, "What in the name of Evil were you thinking?"

Akira sputtered for a minute, stopped and sputtered again. He finally managed to spit out, "But I was just doing what Mom told me to do, Mariko," before she balled up her fist and punched him as hard as she could, right in his solar plexus. The punch itself was nothing special. Because of the location, however, Akira dropped to his knees, gasping and wheezing. He would have fallen to the floor, but Hiei had a hold of his collar. Which caused more choking and wheezing. Then Alanna came up and delivered a vicious snap kick to his groin. Hiei's grip on his collar released about the same time Akira's eyes rolled back into his head. The last thing he saw after his head bounced off the floor was Alanna's other foot rising from the floor to meet his face. Then everything went black.

"Well, that was fun," Alanna smirked down at the unconscious Akira.

"Still, Alanna," Mariko added watching her brother, "That is no way to show respect to your older brother."

"Are you sure we're related, Mariko? You're my sister before and barely enough like me for me to understand. He's way weird and was not acting at all brotherly. Actually, I think he's a perv."

"I'm not sure about this 'perv' thing of which you speak, but he is definitely my twin so he's definitely my brother, so he's definitely your half-brother if I am your half-sister."

Raven had been observing the family reunion with rapidly growing horror and dismay as her telepathic capabilities picked up every nuance of Alanna's memories of dealing with Akira. Not a pretty sight. Akira's last thought before losing consciousness, "Crap. How the hell do I explain this to Mom and survive?" rattled across her mind with visions of others who had failed in Kharistahl's orders. Both Hiei and Kurama started similar thoughts before slamming their shields closed.

A psychic blast struck the house and if anyone had been unshielded it would have flattened them for sure. Fortunately, there appeared a bluish-silver shield around everyone just before the blast hit.


	18. Chapter 18

"Hn. Looks like Kharistahl got the message." Hiei's quip was followed by another blast, again blocked. Akira sat up.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" The voice emanating from Akira was Kharistahl's. The red crystal in his earring glowed malevolently.

"I thought turning the tables would be fair," Kurama replied, leaning casually against the wall. "You interfere with my family and kidnap people to make me do what you want. I thought I would see how it works in reverse."

"Not the way you are hoping," she smirked. "Go ahead, kill both the useless twits. I will still have you swear allegiance to me and do my bidding."

"Hn. That's not going to happen."

"Don't be so sure, Hiei. Even you have weaknesses to be exploited. People you would do anything to protect. People you would kill for. People you would die for." Kharistahl shot a small look at Raven from the corner of her eye. Raven reached a hand for the tomahawks on each hip.

"That's never been a secret. Neither has the fact that those attempting to use those people against me has been invariably fatal."

"So far, but that does not mean this will continue. Cheiko has already proven you can be defeated. If that is what you need in order to change sides, I'll have her come by and collect you personally later."

"Please. I would like to meet her in some setting not completely controlled by you. I don't think she will fare as well as you expect." Hiei's grin was positively feral.

"As you wish. Now, be a good little lackey and step out of the way. I need to speak to your master." Akira's hand waved languidly, motioning Hiei aside, but Hiei flew into the wall with smashing force. He slid down in a boneless heap as Kurama and Alanna gaped. Mariko and Raven ran forward to help him. There was a blood red glow pouring off Akira, but a wall of glowing bluish silver surrounded the red.

As Raven and Mariko dragged the groggy Hiei from the room, Alanna and Kurama stepped between them and the edge of the glowing shield. "How long can you keep this shield up?" Kurama thought at Alanna.

"As long as you need it, Dad," came the answer. It also confirmed his suspicions of who was at the controls of Alanna's body and powers. Feeling a bit more confident about his back-up, even with Hiei out of the picture, Kurama turned a snarling face toward the small reddish globe in the corner.

"You have hurt the last person I care about, Kharistahl. I will hunt you down and I will see you destroyed if it is the last thing I do." Kurama leaned forward and the shields shifted with him until he was virtually nose to nose with his opponent and glaring directly into her eyes through a paper-thin lavender barrier. "You were so concerned with getting the 'Coldest Mind in Makai' that you never considered what would happen if you failed. Now you have and you will die before I allow you to hurt anyone else."

Kharistahl looked back at him speculatively. "Hmmmm. You appear to be serious. Very well. Do what you will with these two. They've never been more than minimally useful to me. I will get back to you when you have had a chance to calm down and consider your position." The red glow of the earring in Akira's ear winked out and he collapsed on the floor in a heap just as Mariko returned to the room.

"Akira!" Mariko ran to her brother's side, kneeling beside him before looking up at Kurama with wide, tear-filled eyes. "It was Mommy, wasn't it?" She asked with a sniffle, rubbing her eyes hard before looking down at Akira's body. Akira groaned a moment, but otherwise didn't make any signs of life.

Mariko sniffled again, tugging her brother's head into her lap and gently stroking his hair while looking up at the other two. "He may have been mean, but...he's still my brother and Mommy was mean to him too. You guys will make sure he doesn't get hurt anymore, right?"

Looking down at her, Kurama sighed. Alanna looked on in interest. "Dad, Kharistahl's gone, but she could be back. Did you want us to get rid of him for you?" The question was thought at him, but Mariko was looking so pitiful, Kurama knew he couldn't let the boys do anything to Akira, even if it meant they would have more trouble later.

"Can you seal off that earring until we can get him to take it out himself?" He thought to them. A silvery globe surrounded the earring and enclosed it. Aloud, he said, "I am probably going to regret this, Mariko, but I will offer my protection to your brother when he wakes up. For now, let's get him upstairs and into a bed."

"You can put him into mine until we can figure out where he'll stay," she smiled up at him through the tears. "I know he will be better now that he isn't working for Mommy."

Kurama had some doubts, but he kept them to himself as he hoisted the unconscious Akira over his shoulder and carried him up the stairs. Mariko ran ahead and opened the door to her room and pulled down the covers from her bed. They got Akira tucked in and Mariko pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, obviously planning to stay with her brother until he woke up. Kurama closed the door on his way out and went back down to the livingroom where Mariko and Raven had deposited Hiei on the sofa.

"How is he?" Kurama asked Raven. Hiei's eyes were open, but he clearly was not quite all there. He was going to be upset when he found out about their latest stray.

"He will recover," she replied. "Is this a normal sort of occurrence? No wonder he was shocked when I arrived."

"Welcome to the family," Kurama smiled. He looked over at Alanna who was swaying on her feet. With a muttered oath, he dove forward and caught her as she fell. Scooping her up, he took her up to their bed and laid her in it. Apparently the boys had misjudged their (or her) capabilities a bit because she was severely drained of energy. There was a vague sense of apology, but nothing coherent from any of them. Alanna was asleep almost instantly.

With a sigh, he went back down to the livingroom. Hiei was in the process of trying to sit up while Raven was trying to get him to stay laying down. Kurama suggested that, rather than fight, they retire to the kitchen for some lunch and to discuss the situation before the girls came home from school.

By the time the tea was ready, they had brought Raven up to speed on the current set of circumstances. She was infuriated to find out that she had another sister who was missing and had been presumed dead until Kharistahl had chosen to torment Hiei with the possibility that she had been stolen away instead. She had met Leona in Makai, in fact it had been she who sent Raven to Koenma before the Kakai Barrier sealed.

"These people are so evil they would do these things to an infant?" She asked, incensed. She was starting to develop a bit of a flaming black aura. "I will hunt this evil female down and kill her myself!" she declared.

"Sorry, but you will have to stand in line," Kurama said calmly as he finished making them sandwiches. "Your father and I were both directly hurt by Kharistahl and we will get first shot at her should it come to that. She was tricked into giving us the location of her 'secret' base and your father passed that information to the Spirit World Special Defense Forces. We have Akira here and expect that Kharistahl and Cheiko will be taken with the base. They will be taken to Spirit World where they will be tried, judged and executed. Should they escape capture, WE will find them and make sure that Kharistahl pays for her cruelty. Cheiko will be turned over to the Special Defense Forces."

Kurama's voice was perfectly calm during his recitation, but the waves of violence and hatred that poured off him were only matched by the ones from Hiei. Raven swallowed a bite of her sandwich and wisely did not ask why Kharistahl was not being turned over. She got the impression that there would be little or nothing left to turn over when Hiei and Kurama were done with her. Reminding herself of all that Kharistahl had done to bring this on herself just made her feel sick. Rather than say anything she would regret later, Raven nodded. Hopefully the Spirit World Special Defense Forces would be successful and there would be no need of intervention at all.

"We should be receiving word of the results any time now. The base is some distance from here, but they've had over 24 hours to get there, set up and execute the capture." Hiei added. "Koenma left orders for us to be notified as soon as the raid is completed."

"In the meantime, our household has expanded again and will soon expand even further, once the boys get here. We need to discuss what to do about that."

Hiei and Raven both looked up quickly. "What do you mean expanded," from Hiei vied with "What boys?" from Raven. Kurama sighed and considered which question to answer first, momentarily forgetting he was dealing with two telepaths. Their nearly simultaneous gasps of shock were proof of that. From that point on the conversation was much faster and quieter.

During the explanation of "the boys" Hiei was brought up to date on all he had missed. Including the explanation at the end that explained the "expanding" comment. Hiei snarled in anger, but when provided the picture of Mariko sitting on the floor and holding her brother while she begged for him to stay through tear-filled eyes, he agreed that Kurama had been given no choice. But he didn't have to like it.

Neither did the boys who joined the explanation about the time they first entered the story. In passing, they informed the "Dads" that they had chosen names, Helios and Kris. "Guess which is which." Also they had spent a lot of time working on Alanna's consciousness of different ideas. They had found they could go just so far and then Alanna would reject the entire thing and they would have to start over again from scratch.

"And keeping the body going while keeping her mind asleep is not easy," they complained. That was why they were not able to manage the power flow more smoothly and why they used more than they should have. Plus, her body was not used to feeding and supporting two other beings beside itself and she needed to rest a lot more than she was and eat a lot more carefully. Mostly they had been concentrating on those things when Kharistahl had visited Mariko the first time. Yesterday.

More than anything, though, they were annoyed that the months of progress toward tolerance of the unnatural nature of her spouses and offspring-to-be had been ruined. Now, between editing her memories and adjusting what she saw, they were going to have to try to restart and speed up the process. But at least the Special Defense Forces should be getting under way with their attack of the "secret" base soon. Hopefully all those sought would be apprehended and there would finally be an end to the chaos that had overtaken the house in the last 24 hours.

Then they could get back to their work of overcoming Alanna's automatic reaction to the unusual or demonic before they arrived on the scene. ...And once they had overcome Alanna's prejudices, they would be ready to begin their own objective. Total World Domination. Possibly even Total Worlds Domination. Yeah, that was cool.

"Oops - sorry Dads. Just kidding." Did not really reassure the Dads all that much. After all, if the boys were this effective while still months away from birth, just imagine what they would be like when they got older. The mutual shudder of horror from both Hiei and Kurama interrupted the conference. The boys were getting tired, too. So Kurama told them to get some rest and try whatever damage control they found necessary.

Hiei and Raven set up a couple of small rooms in the basement that had been intended for storage as bedrooms and got Raven moved to one. Akira could have the other one when he woke up. After he gave up his bit of Kharistahl's crystal. Raven's room was rearranged to be a nursery for the boys.

Kira and Kara were thrilled that their new baby brothers would have the room next to theirs when they got home from school. Holly and Jin arrived with their daughters and reassured Kurama that no one had taken any harm from the previous night's activities. Jinny was in her favorite feline form, earning a sharp glare from her grandfather and squeals of delight from the twins, who instantly began to chase her. They stayed for dinner, which Akira and Alanna missed because they were both still asleep.

Mariko joined them, however and the twins were delighted to know they now had an "Uncle Akira" who would be living there. Holly was not so thrilled, but, again, in the face of Mariko's innocent enthusiasm and gratitude could not say a whole lot on the subject. Especially in front of the children who remained oblivious to the tensions growing between the adults.

It was decided that, since the boys had assured them the entire house was now shielded from hostile demon activity, they would all remain together for the night. All the girls (with the possible exception of Jinny, who hid on top of the refrigerator until the twins stopped looking for her) enjoyed the thought of a sleep-over. Jinny was persuaded to resume a human form for the event by her mother, who offered her the choice between that and being fought over like a favorite stuffed animal when it was time to go to bed. The twins were disappointed that the little kitty was not going to be there to sleep with them.

Jin and Holly would sleep in the newly converted nursery. A small bed was set up in Mariko's room since Akira showed no signs of regaining consciousness any time soon. Alanna was still sleeping peacefully in the room she shared with Hiei and Kurama. There was some question about how she would take Akira's addition to the household, but that would wait until morning. Naturally all four girls would sleep in the twins' room. Raven chose to sleep on the sofa in the livingroom in case there was any urgent news during the night.

Hiei and Kurama had discussed taking turns sleeping and keeping watch on the household during the night, but decided to get as much rest as they could, trusting to the shields. Who knew what was going to happen in the next day or two. There was still no word from the Special Defense Task Force sent to capture Kharistahl. The night passed uneventfully and the children were off to school and Holly and Jin back in their own home before Alanna and Akira woke up.

Alanna got up first and didn't even ask why she hadn't been waken up for work. It had been long enough since she had last eaten that she felt sick and sent Hiei to get her some toast and tea before she dared to move. She ate a little and then felt improved enough to go to the kitchen for breakfast. Once there, she proceeded to devour enough food for four normal people and then went back to bed. She was asleep almost instantly.

Akira's return to consciousness was not so easy. Mariko was starting to become truly concerned that something had happened to him when he failed to rouse by mid-morning. She asked Hiei to check on him. Kharistahl had ruthlessly drained his energy levels the day before, but they should have recovered enough for him to function. When calling his name and shaking him failed to produce results, Hiei decided to take drastic measures. He filled the bathtub with ice cold water and then he and Mariko manhandled Akira's limp body to the bathroom.

When splashing him in the face with cold water failed, they stripped him down and dropped him bodily into the water. The results were most gratifying. As soon as his bare body was engulfed in the water, Akira started struggling. Unfortunately, this caused him to slip from his sister's grasp and he slid under the surface. Sputtering and gasping, he got himself upright and glared into Hiei's smirking face. Before he could say anything, however, Mariko threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh Akira!" she wailed. "I was so worried! You wouldn't wake up and you slept a whole day and the night and it's almost noon again! Hiei helped me wake you up. I have towels and clean clothes for you and there is food downstairs and Hiei and Raven got you a cute little room to stay in and we can stay here together with Hiei and Suichi and Alanna and the children-wait till you meet them, they're so cute-and Alanna is going to have two baby boys and we can all be one big happy family and..."

Mariko kept babbling a mile a minute, not letting her stunned brother get a word in edgewise as she handed him a towel when Hiei had helped the still dazed demon from the tub. He clearly wasn't recovered yet and wasn't catching more than one word in six of what his sister was saying. He managed to get dressed and down to the kitchen with a bit of further assistance from Hiei. Mariko kept up her monologue non-stop the entire time. Listening to her and seeing the glazed expression in Akira's eyes, Kurama handed him a cup of coffee and tossed the thought at Hiei that perhaps having to actually deal with Mariko would be good for him. Hiei's response was a non-commital grunt.

"Mariko," Kurama interrupted when the girl stopped for a breath, "maybe you should let Akira catch his breath and finish waking up before you give him all the news. Besides, if he wants to return to your mother or to keep that bit of her crystal in his ear, he's going to be leaving in just a little while."

Mariko looked at her brother, stricken. He was still looking a bit dazed. She bit her bottom lip. "You don't want to go back to Mommy, do you Akira?" she asked hesitantly. Akira's gaze focused on her nervous face and then he looked at Kurama standing to one side and Hiei on the other. Clearly he was considering his options.

"I don't have to go back?" He asked, directing the question toward Kurama.

"It's up to you," Kurama said sternly. "But you will have to hand over that crystal earring Kharistahl used to take over your body and swear that you will not do anything to hurt anyone in this household, or those of our friends or relatives ever again. If you do, you won't have to worry about what your mother may do."

"You're saying you can protect me from her?" Akira's voice was dubious, but he was removing the earring as he spoke. He handed it to Kurama with a sigh. "You do know she will kill any and all of us that she gets her hands on from here on out."

Kurama nodded and the earring joined Mariko's necklace in a glass box on the top shelf of the cupboard. "I know she will try. We just have to keep out of her grasp until she is no longer a threat."

"Huh. That'll be never. She can hold a grudge for millennia. You should know that." Akira was a bit more fully awake. "We can never let our guard down."

"Well, we can only hope that the Spirit World Special Defense Forces succeed in capturing her before too long."

"Those idiots. Are they still looking for her in Makai?"

"Hn. Actually, we managed to get the location of Kharistahl's base here in the Human World and passed it on to them. They should be attacking there any time now." Hiei smirked. "I expect to hear that she is captured or dead fairly soon. If not, I'll go take care of the job myself."

"And put yourself directly back into Cheiko's hands, Pet?" Hiei's smirk was replaced with a snarl at the easy copy of Cheiko's voice as it fell from Akira's lips.

Mariko gently smacked the tip of one of Akira's ears. "Akira, be nice." She said with as much of a glare as she had ever produced out of her own power. Needless to say, it wasn't really that intimidating. "Just because Hiei-san and Kurama-san are letting you stay doesn't mean you're allowed to tease them. Especially about Cheiko."

Akira rolled his bright green eyes, looking down into the dark blue ones of his sister. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, fine." He muttered. Mariko set her hands on her hips.

"Apologize." She ordered.

"Sorry." Akira said, without any real sincerity. Akira smiled sheepishly at his sister and then sat back with a serious expression on his face. "All kidding aside, Hiei, you don't really expect to just waltz in there alone and come out. At least not without a collar and a big red crystal spelled to keep you under control."

"Hn. I don't understand why your family keeps insisting that I would come out second best in any encounter with Cheiko."

"History, Hiei. You were lucky she got complaisant with you last time and you managed to take advantage and escape. Don't think it will happen again." Akira looked Hiei up and down, leering. "You were lucky to get away with everything intact. You should have heard her whining to Mom how she wanted to hunt you down and drag you back. She wanted to make you sorry you even thought about leaving her."

"Hn. That was a long time ago. A lot of things have changed since then." Hiei glared at Akira.

"Not that long ago. And Cheiko has just gotten stronger and more vicious." Akira glared back and there was an awkward silence in the kitchen for a few minutes. Finally, Kurama interrupted the staring contest.

"I have heard a number of references to time spent with Cheiko, Hiei, but I don't know when that was. When was it and what were you doing in the Nightmare Realm in the first place?"

"When Youko first disappeared, before the news of his 'death' leaked out, Koko sent me to try to find him. She was worried about the way Holly was reacting to being moved away from...that little friend of hers. She also had warning of a problem from a certain small red feline. I followed the trail into the Nightmare Realm, but got surprised and captured just before word came in of Youko's demise." Hiei grimaced. "Cheiko decided to make me her 'Pet' just before that happened. Things were pretty ugly for a while and then I managed to escape."

Akira blinked, looking over at Mariko. "Uhm, sis? Am I the only one here not getting the whole red cat thing, or are you as in the dark as I am?"

Mariko just shrugged and decided to keep her mouth shut a moment longer before blurting, "What certain small red feline?"

"It isn't really important," Kurama replied with a small grin. Especially since the red cat in question didn't even know what they were talking about yet. He turned back to Hiei. "How did she keep you there? Even then you were pretty good at getting out of anywhere you didn't want to be."

Hiei sighed. "Hn. She beat me in single combat and forced me to put on that collar. Every time I started to recover enough to think about running, she beat me into submission again. In between, she..." Hiei's eyes hardened. "Let's just say I don't want to talk about it and leave it at that. It's over and I'll die before it happens again."

There was another long and awkward silence, followed by the near inaudible sound of Akira's timid cough. Raven suddenly went pale, before turning a rather interesting shade of green. "DADDY! That's naaasty!" She stuck her tongue out to illustrate her utter disgust.

Hiei glared at her. "That's what happens when you eavesdrop on other people's thoughts."

"I wasn't eavesdropping. You were broadcasting."

"I was not. I am trying to forget that time. It was the very worst time in my entire life since the Ice Maidens threw me down from their city as an infant."

"Sorry, Daddy, but you definitely were broadcasting." Raven shivered a little, "Maybe you just didn't know it, but you were."

"Hn."

"Daddy, is that your answer for everything?" Hiei glared at her without saying a word. Raven squeaked and stepped behind Akira. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'll shut up now."

Kurama sighed. "As interesting as this little family drama is, it is not helping us figure out what our next course of action should be."

"Hn. It's not hurting us, either and I thought we had to wait until the report came in from the Special Defense Forces."

Akira coughed. It came out sounding suspiciously like "Morons!"

Mariko looked at her brother with concern. "You should take something for that cough. It sounds nasty. I will make you some tea with lemon and honey and you should get back into bed."

"I haven't contracted a plague," he replied in exasperation. "It was one cough. I will be just peachy-keen."

"That was two coughs in less than five minutes. I think you've caught a nasty bug and should get back into bed." Mariko set her hands on her hips.

"Mariko," Akira groaned, "The one before this was just to break the silence and- what are you doing?"

"Checking to make sure you don't have a fever. You feel a little warm. I really think you need to lay down."

Akira's eyes narrowed. "I'll be fine," He snarled from between clenched teeth, "I've always been fine, I will always be fine." When Mariko opened her mouth to object, he snapped, "STOP HOVERING!"

She looked up at him, her bottom lip quivering. Eventually, Akira found himself being tucked into his bed in his new room, downing a cup of warm tea with lemon and honey.

"Are you sure you'll be okay down here?" Mariko asked, "It feels a little chilly."

"I'll. Be. Fine." The demon growled, "Go torment someone else, like...that spikey-headed little freak."

"Oh Hiei is fine. Besides, he has his new daughter and Alanna to take care of him. I'll just get a book and sit here and read in case you need anything."

Akira sighed in resignation and frustration. "Mariko, actually I am feeling a little off. I'd like some privacy so I can sleep for a bit. I can't sleep if there's anyone else in the room. I will call you if I need anything."

"Are you sure-"

"Definitely. Please, Mariko. I really can't relax and rest if there is anyone in the room with me. Please just go and I promise, if there is anything I need I will call for you."

"Well, OK," Mariko agreed reluctantly. She stood up and headed for the door. "Just remember. You promised."

Akira rolled onto his side, his back to the door. "Yes Mariko, I promised." He replied. Akira planned to wait a few minutes to let Mariko get upstairs, but he actually fell asleep and woke several hours later. Meanwhile, Kurama, Hiei and Raven were still working on the problem of how to protect the household and their related households until they had word of Kharistahl's capture or demise. The shielding the boys had put up seemed to be fairly solid so they only needed to be concerned with those outside the house. There was also the question of finding some form of gainful employment for Akira. After all, they could not support all of Alanna's siblings on their own. Even if they wanted to.

Alanna woke just after noon and came down for more food. Apparently, the boys were working on the improved nutrition and increased rest program. Alanna stayed awake long enough to greet the girls when they came home from school and then declared that she was going to take a nap before dinner. Akira joined them for dinner, but nothing was decided as they waited for word.

The situation continued the same for the next several days. Finally, however, there was a knock on the door and when Kurama answered, there was a messenger from the head of the Spirit World Special Defense Forces. Hiei, Kurama, Mariko and Akira were being summoned to the court of Spirit World. Kharistahl had been captured and was to be tried the next week. A number of her minions had been captured with her, but of Cheiko, there was no sign.

After arranging for Alanna, Raven and the children to spend the time until the end of the trial at Genkai's temple, the four of them headed to Spirit World with a variety of levels of trepidation. Hiei and Kurama were torn between triumph at her capture and dismay at having to relive and tell the horrors she had put them through. Mariko was excited to be going to see her mother again and worried that she was not going to be accepted. Akira was just plain terrified of everyone involved in the proceedings. They took with them the box containing Mariko's necklace and Akira's earring.


	19. Chapter 19

Once they arrived in Spirit World, they were each given a separate room and told not to contact anyone else. Each of them was brought before a darkened podium and questioned extensively and then returned to their room. They waited while the case was deliberated. Finally, all those involved in the trial were brought forward to hear the results. Looking around the room, Kurama saw demons and humans, ghosts and monsters. He saw the ghosts of both Kiki and Missy as well as the servants from Kharistahl's castle in the Nightmare realm. No one was left out. Even Faith was there.

Kharistahl was brought in. She was in a transparent bubble of some sort and her crystal, along with all the shards they had collected was in a separate bubble. She snarled at all those assembled with a particularly virulent glare reserved for Kurama and Hiei. When she saw Mariko and Akira, she shrieked something that could not be heard through the bubble, but the intent was clear.

Koenma stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat. The room quieted and the bubble around Kharistahl thinned so that sound could pass through it. "Kharistahl," he began, "You are here accused of a variety of crimes from mind tampering to murder of demons and humans. You are also accused of conspiring to conquer not only Makai, but also the Human World and Spirit World and of attempting to coerce others into helping you. We have heard the testimony of all those here. Have you anything to say before we pass judgement?"

"Judgement?" she snarled, glaring around the room again. "What gives YOU the right to pass judgement on ME? You are just a jumped up demon yourself. Instead of passing judgement on me, you should be on your knees begging me for mercy. You can do nothing to me and I WILL become supreme ruler of all three worlds before I am through!"

Kharistahl glared up at Koenma, who sighed. "Unfortunately, you are wrong. I am not alone in this. The leaders of Makai and the few in the Human World who are aware of the different worlds are all agreed. You WILL be punished. As an "S" level demoness, there ARE only a limited number of options at hand. Obviously, given your attitude and extreme age, imprisoning you, even for a millennia or two would not be reasonable."

He looked around the room at the assembled personages. "It is the consensus of this tribunal that the only appropriate reaction to your various and sundry crimes is total obliteration. Your crystals shall be powdered and buried in a blessed spring that will remove all the demon energy from them. You shall be killed, cremated and your ashes scattered to the four winds from the highest peaks of the world. Your Nightmare Realm in Makai shall be dismantled and laid waste. Your soul shall be sealed within a glass sphere and launched to the heart of the sun. There will be nothing left."

The room grew silent during the recitation of the punishment. Even her worst enemies were somewhat horrified. Not that they thought she did not deserve it, it was just more than had ever been done to any demon. Ever. The execution was set two days from then to allow Kharistahl to make her peace with her fate and with anyone she chose to speak to. Most of the time, she was alone in her cell, railing at Koenma and the various people who had contributed to her downfall. She did have a few visitors, however.

Mariko asked Hiei to go with her so that she could see her mother one last time. Reluctantly, he agreed to escort her. They went down to the cell where Kharistahl was being held and Mariko called to her mother through the small window in the door. There were several guards around and the key to the door was held by none other than Koenma himself. The door would not be opened until it was time to take Kharistahl out for the execution.

"Mommy, I came to see you," Mariko called to her. Kharistahl stalked over to the window.

"So, the little traitor comes to gloat over me, now that I can no longer hurt her," Kharistahl snarled at her youngest.

"But Mommy, I just wanted-"

"-Just wanted to see me suffering in misery while I wait for those fools to come down here and take me out so that they can kill me? Of course you did. You are my daughter, after all. Evil to the bone."

"Oh no, Mommy. I just wanted to tell you that I forgive you for all the mean things you did to me for all those years and I am sorry they will kill you and not give you a chance to make up for them. I know you would if you-"

"HA! Don't lie to me. You came down here with that little three-eyed freak so I could see that you have joined forces with my enemies and will celebrate when I die." Mariko's eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip quivered. "Oh stop your sniveling. If you hadn't been pulled from my body I would never have believed that a weak incompetent thing like you could be my offspring. In fact I am not sure that you aren't some wimpy little changeling substituted for my real child at birth."

"Hn." Hiei pulled Mariko into his arms and pressed her tear-streaked face against his shoulder. "You know you really are an evil bitch, Kharistahl. Yes, there are some of us who will be glad when you are gone forever, but Mariko is not one of them. For some strange and unknowable reason, she actually loves you and wants nothing more than your approval."

"Which only proves my point," Kharistahl smirked. "If she were truly my offspring, she would be out there somewhere trying to figure out how to take over and resurrect my empire, like her sister. And probably her brother, who I see is too scared of me to approach."

Mariko lifted her face and looked at her mother. "If I would need to be mean and nasty like Cheiko to be your daughter, then I guess I am not. And Akira is not scared to come down to see you, he just has no desire to do so. I was the only one stupid enough to think you might finally have a kind word for me when you never had before. Come on, Hiei. There's nothing for me here and never has been."

Mariko summoned all the dignity she could and stepped away from Hiei. Turning stiffly away, she started out of the room.

"Don't you turn your back on me, you little bitch," Kharistahl shrieked toward her retreating form. "I will be back and when I do you will all pay!"

Mariko stopped in the doorway. Without turning around, she said simply, "No, Mother. You won't," and was gone. Hiei turned and shook his head and followed her, Kharistahl's shrieks of rage following them up the stairs. He was impressed that she made it all the way to her room before allowing herself to collapse in misery at the vile things her mother had said to her.

After the sentence had been carried out and the crystals reduced to dust, Hiei was given the dust to place in the room where he had held Kurama all those years ago. He spread the dust on the floor and then tripped the locks and flooded the room. No one and nothing with an ounce of demon energy was ever going to get close to those shards again. Kharistahl was gone. Forever. It would not return any of her victims, nor would it lessen the pain of their loss, but at least they would not need to fear her coming back and making their lives miserable ever again.

And life returned to relative normalcy until...


End file.
